Whether you consider it to be overrated and highly commercialised, or you’re a hopeless romantic, February 14th is here and like it or not, there’s no hiding from Valentine’s Day. With love songs playing on your commute into work, endless emails containing V Day offers and multiple flower deliveries to the lucky people in the office – you will not escape it.
So let’s embrace it shall we?!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Valentine’s Day remains the most popular day for marriage proposals, but these aren’t the only life altering decisions made on this day. Interestingly, stats show that there is an influx of job applications on the day itself, which got us thinking…“Why?!”
Believe it or not, there’s no definite answer to that question. But in fact, Valentine’s Day and job searching do relate to each other in more ways than expected:
1) Research:
Assuming you’re celebrating with your significant other, you will have conducted research as to potential gift ideas, restaurant reviews or perhaps romantic recipes being sure to carefully select the right option to give off the best impression. Likewise, extensive research will be carried out before applying for a new role. We encourage our candidates to look into potential employers to find out who they are, what they do and how they do it, fully equipping them to shine at interview stage.
Either way, research is a crucial task to demonstrate how much you care whether it’s for the person or the opportunity being prepared can only present you in the best light!
2) Time:
We’re sure you’ve noticed the price tag increase on anything Valentine’s Day related, only for it to be reduced the following week. But it doesn’t have to be expensive with 89% of people stating that spending time is the most valuable Valentine’s Day gift. Time spent on your job applications is also likely to pay off. By tailoring your CV to each position and providing a cover letter to express your interest in the opportunity your chances of securing an interview are only set to increase further.
3) Dress code:
Since you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, you may as well make an effort (or not, we’re recruiters not fashionista’s after all). Whilst we encourage you to dress how you like for Valentine’s Day, at interview the rules are not as lapse. By attending an interview dressed professionally you will be giving a great first impression and you’ll feel confident in yourself too!
So there we have it, 3 ways the day of love does in fact have similarities to the job searching process! Whether you’re celebrating it or not, take a few minutes out to consider the things you that you love. If you find that your job isn’t one of them, add ‘Valentine Job Hunting’ to your to-do list and get in touch with one of our experienced Specialists who will support you in finding your perfect career match.
As Steve Jobs brilliantly puts it “the only way to do great work is to love what you do”.