Happy New Year! I think you can still get away with that till Feb. Unlike taking the Christmas tree down which I now know has a set day; 12/13 days after Christmas. If any of your houses have a yuletide aesthetic post 7th of Jan, I’ll go ahead and assume your life is in tatters. Any remnants of last year need to be packed away and forgotten about. It’s a brand-new year and it brings with it a strong sense of optimism. At some point, Queen St will be awash with socked and sandaled tourists adorned with bum bags bulging with holiday dosh. We’ll again be reminded that where we live is a tourist destination, that alone must inspire some positivity. Thinking positively is a big theme for me in these early months. Not only does Rice have a horse in the race at this year’s SARAs, but that same horse is running the Auckland (half) marathon! I and three of my recruitment chums have decided to enter into ASBs annual runathon. Not being much of a runner it’s been an experience. The physicality of running has been as you would expect; back, knee, arse in bits. The mental aspect on the other hand has been the real eye-opener. Being far from an athlete I found myself leaning on the only comparable I have for mental and physical anguish; recruitment. This is what recruitment taught me about running.
Do the prep
Coming in cold is a recipe for disaster. If you’ve ever been to a client meeting with little to no knowledge of the organisation, you’ll know this first hand. Even starting the day without a clear idea of what you’re trying to accomplish is ill-advised. Mapping your route and a day plan essentially do the same thing, avoid you getting lost. Before setting off make sure you’ve done what you can, you don’t want to pull up having strained something.
Competition is healthy
I mentioned that I’m doing the marathon with some pals, the fact they are in recruitment too means they have a base level of competitiveness. Unfortunately for me, they are either half the size or significantly shorter putting me at a disadvantage. On the sales floor though, everyone’s phone is equal. The good thing is when it comes to your billings and overall time; you tend to run harder when you are trying to move up a leaderboard.
Pace yourself
By all means, make hay while the sun’s shining. Although I think now more than ever it is important to you don’t burn out. Consistency is key as any recruitment manager will tell you. For those perm billers out there, you’ll often experience a fantastic month followed by a distinctly average one. Feast and famine is never a great strategy; slow doesn’t necessarily win the race but steady for sure does.
Set targets
It’s a bit daunting to know you’ll be running for roughly 2+ hours straight. It’s just like being told your budget at the beginning of the year. Seems an awful lot but you just need to break it down. I need this much by this month/ I need to be under this time by this point. Breaking things down makes them heaps less intimidating. I find myself saying “it’s only ten 2.1kms” that’s not much at all?
Celebrate the wins
When you’re starting out, be it in recruitment or running, milestones come by fast. It’s important to acknowledge your growth and celebrate the wins. There are plenty of set backs in both arenas so when something does go right or you manage something which you initially thought was unattainable, be proud. At the same time, don’t beat yourself up. You won’t always do a PB and that’s ok and if you need to catch your breath you’re not a useless fat hippo.
Things I couldn’t shoehorn in are a good playlist and appropriate attire, staying hydrated in recruitment is always a good idea but that tends to help when you have a particular bad run of it. The big day is on the 23rd so I’m going to eat like a pig and drink like fish for a week after, before pulling myself back into line for the Seek Awards on the 17th of Feb. Any last minute tips or tricks would be appreciated as would any handmade signs along the route.
