Looking for a new job can feel a lot like sitting down at a poker table. And some of the best job search tips I can give you come straight from the game.
You don’t know exactly what cards you’ll be dealt. You don’t know everything about the people sitting across from you. And you definitely don’t know how every hand is going to turn out.
However, you can have a strategy.
Poker rewards initiative, confidence, preparation, calculated risk-taking and knowing how to read people. Those same skills can give you an edge when you’re looking for your next opportunity.
Job Search Tips Inspired by the Poker Table
Whether you’re actively searching for a new role, interviewing for a promotion or simply wondering what your next move should be, here are seven ways to play your hand.
Be Your Own Cheerleader
Project confidence and don’t be modest when it comes to selling your capabilities.
It’s okay to use the “I” word.
Of course, everyone wants a team player, but you also need to be clear about where you shine…
This is not the time to hope someone figures out how good you are.
Tell them.
Be bold. Take calculated risks. Play to win instead of playing not to lose.
Know the Players
One of the most important job search tips is also one of the most important lessons in poker: know who you’re dealing with.
Stack the deck in your favor by researching the company and the people you want to work for.
Poker players are always sizing up the other players at the table. Before an interview, do the same.
For example, research the company’s objectives, products, recent news and business challenges. Find out as much as you reasonably can about the person interviewing you. LinkedIn, company websites and professional connections can tell you a lot.
Also, see whether you have mutual connections who can give you additional insight.Even better, talk to someone who has worked there before.
Be smart. Be prepared.
Pay Attention to the Tells
Poker players watch for tells because what people communicate without saying a word can tell you a lot.
Job interviews are no different.
Pay attention to the signals you’re sending. Are you making eye contact? Sitting up straight? Speaking clearly and confidently? Or are you looking down, fumbling with your hands or rushing through your answers?
At the same time, pay attention to the interviewer.
Are they engaged? Are they asking follow-up questions? Did something you said suddenly get their attention?
If they look bored or distracted, find a way to re-engage them.
An interview isn’t just about answering questions. Read the room.
Bluffing Is Okay. Lying Is Not.
There’s a big difference between confidently positioning your experience and inventing experience you don’t have.
For example, maybe you’ve done something before, understand the fundamentals and know you can quickly learn the rest. Great. Own that.
However, if you’ve never had any exposure to finance, don’t pretend you’re an accountant.
In poker, deception is part of the game.
In business, your reputation is on the line.
Know the difference.
Job Search Tips for Interviews and Negotiation
Save Your Poker Face for the Negotiation
During an interview, show enthusiasm.
If you want the job, let them know you want it.
But once you have the offer and it’s time to talk salary, benefits or other terms, that’s when your poker face can come in handy.
You’ve already gotten them to say yes. Now you have information you didn’t have before: they want you.
Use it.
Ask questions. Understand what matters most to you. And if there’s room to improve the offer, don’t hesitate to ask.
The negotiation is part of the game.
Don’t Let a “No” Throw You Off Your Game
Not every hand is a winner.
And you’re not going to get every interview, promotion or job offer, even when you’re qualified.
However, just like in poker, you can do everything right and still lose the hand.
What matters is what you do next.
Poker players call it going “on tilt” when frustration from one loss starts affecting the decisions that follow. Don’t let one rejection do that to your job search.
Feel lousy for a day if you need to. Learn what you can. Then compose yourself and move on to the next opportunity.
Don’t let your emotions undermine your intelligence.
Stay in the Game
One of my favorite poker stories comes from the 1982 World Series of Poker.
Jack Straus thought he had gone all-in and lost. He believed he was out of the tournament. But as he was getting ready to leave, he discovered he still had one chip.
Instead, he stayed in.
And he went on to win the tournament.
That story helped popularize one of poker’s best-known expressions:
All you need is a chip and a chair.
Your job search can feel exhausting, especially when the right opportunity doesn’t come as quickly as you hoped.
Keep going.
Make connections. Have conversations. Learn from the hands that didn’t go your way.
You only need the right opportunity to work out.
You only need the right opportunity to work out.
Job Search Tips to Help You Bet on Yourself
The best job search tips won’t guarantee that every interview turns into an offer.
That’s not how poker works, and it’s not how careers work either.
What they can do is help you walk into the room better prepared, read the people across from you, communicate your value, negotiate confidently and recover when something doesn’t go your way.
You can’t control every card you’re dealt.
You can control how you play them.
Stay in the game. Bet on yourself. And play to win.
