Jobs! Got to Catch Them All!!

by Leigh Milligan, Senior Editor
previously published
8/11/14

Jobs! Got to Catch Them All!!

leigh.milliganI love Pokémon games! I have been playing Pokémon since the red and blue editions were on Game Boy. I am now playing the newest one Pokémon X for 3DS and I can’t put it down. I love that there are so many Pokémon you can catch. They are all so cute and fun. In the land of Pokémon, there are so many places to see, people to talk to and battles to be fought. There are Gyms to fight at and badges, money and prizes to be won. And once you beat the last big battle, the Elite 4, the game still isn’t over, you still can catch them all and there are at least 700 of them.

But what exactly does this have to do with the job hunt?

I am going to be taking five different aspects of the game and compare it to the job hunt. While this doesn’t really have to do with the job hunt, it can be a more fun and motivational way to go about the job hunt.

1. Searching for that elusive Pokémon is like searching for that perfect fit or dream job In the older games, the most rare Pokémon to find was Mewtwo because there was only one, and if you didn’t find Mewtwo or missed out on catching Mewtwo, you would not find Mewtwo. In the job market, especially if you are looking for a library job, you may be looking for that one dream job. This could take a long time, and may not always be realistic. Keep your options open because in the library world there are many paths you could go and if you are holding out for that Mew, you could miss out!

2. In Pokémon, there are about 700 different Pokémon you can catch, Yes 700! Each type of Pokémon are located in different areas of the game, specific to the types of Pokémon there are such as grass, rock, water, fire, psychic, fighter, ice and even more! While there might not be exactly 700 types of jobs in any given market, especially the library market, there are many different types! And you can find all these s types of jobs everywhere, in all parts of the world! For example Go to INALJ.com and on the left hand side, check out the keywords for job searching. Wow! There are so many different types of library and information pro jobs you can do all because you have a MLIS!

3. In the Pokémon world, there are always people to talk to, so you can learn more about Pokémon, the different towns and get some clues and hints. I find this almost like networking in the job market. When looking for a job or a career change, networking is very important. Talk to people and learn about their jobs and how they got there. A great place to do this would be a conference or special event. Also consider going on informational interviews. With an informational interview, maybe you could figure out what library type you would fit best in or what job type would be best for you!

4. The last big battle you fight in Pokémon is the elite 4. Fighting the elite four is like acing the big interview. However beating the elite four does not mean that the game is over. Same deal with the interview. Once you are done the interview, doesn’t mean your job is over. You still have to send thank-you notes to the interviewers and follow-up. And if you do ace the interview it still doesn’t mean your job is over. Keeping your resume up to date and networking is still important even after acing the Elite 4 or that interview.

5. Each battle you fight in Pokémon, no matter if it’s with another Pokémon, a trainer or a gym leader is for you to gain experience as a fighter. Even though the Pokémon trainer gets the reward of money. As a job hunter we get the reward of experience with an interview or a networking conversation. It might not always lead to a job but it’s always an experience. And if you don’t win the battle, keep trying until you do

I hope my comparing the job hunt to Pokémon was able to motivate you more in the job hunt. Now get out there and catch them all!