The X-Men Superpowers You Need During a Job Search
Simply Hired Staff
This post was originally published on YouTern.
From writing a resume to attending job interviews, the entire job search experience has the potential to sap the strength of any mortal.
But we have abilities—superpowers, you could say—that can help us, if only we remember to employ them.
Taken from my favorite movie of the summer so far, here’s a list of superpowers used by the Uncanny X-Men that can help you land a great job:
Wolverine – Healing Ability
Wolverine is one of the most recognized X-Men. Whether it’s his iconic hairdo or his metal claws, everyone tends to be a fan of Wolverine, who has the ability to heal himself. This makes him basically impervious to injury. He might get slowed down, even knocked down, but he always gets back up. If you’re looking for a job, this is a useful ability.
Job search can be an up and down journey. At times it seems like you’re on the right track, and you’re close to getting the job you’ve always wanted, and other times it can seem like nothing will go your way.
When these job search setbacks happen, turn to your inner Wolverine. Heal, dust yourself off, and get back at it.
Mystique – Shape-Shifting
Mystique is a villain to the X-Men, and she is quite powerful with her ability to shape-shift into any form. Although Mystique uses her power to deceive people, as a job seeker shape-shifting is necessary for filling all the different roles you’ll play.
During a job search you’ll need to be a sales person, selling yourself to the interviewer. You’ll be a marketing person, designing captivating resumes, cover letters and online profiles. You’ll also put on your operations hat and see that you are up to date on each of the different jobs you are applying for.
To be the hero in your job search, you must constantly use your ability to shift into different roles, sometimes at a moment’s notice.
Professor X – Telepathy
Professor Charles Xavier, better known as Professor X, is one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe. His telepathic powers give him the ability to read and control minds. You can probably think of a thousand uses for the ability read and control someone’s mind, but when trying to secure a new job the best application of the power is to know what the employer is looking for. This is not to say that you want to tell the employer just what they want to hear. You want to frame your responses in a way that resonates with them.
When you are preparing for your interview, anticipate what kinds of questions will be asked.
Then, map out your responses the interviewer will appreciate in light of the company’s goals, mission, etc. If you prepare for your interview thoroughly, you’ll feel telepathic, anticipating what the interviewer asks.
Magneto – Control Magnetism
Erik Lehnsherr, or Magneto, is one of the most popular X-Men villains for good reason. Of all the villains, if not the X-Men as a whole, he has one of the coolest powers—the ability to control metals through magnetism. Magneto’s ability to control the attraction that different metals have can be quite useful in your job search.
Your resume, cover letter, professional profiles and job interview etiquette should all be magnetic, attracting would-be employers to you.
Maybe you’re not the most magnetic person. You still need to put your best foot forward. Getting the attention of employers is essential to getting you through the door. Try to determine what about you and your work experience will attract potential employers the most, and bring that to the forefront.
Storm – Control the Environment
Ororo Munroe, or Storm, as she’s also known, is one of the most popular X-Men. She possesses the ability to control the weather, creating tornadoes, rainstorms, and lightning.
This may be the biggest stretch in our X-Men analogy, but you have to admit: it would be nice to exert some control over the interview environment.
To do this, try using the STAR method to prepare for your interview. For each question you anticipate being asked, consider the:
- Situation, an experience related to the question
- Task, how you resolved the situation
- Action, the steps you took to complete the task
- Result, the outcome when you resolved the situation
By developing story responses with the STAR method for the various questions you’ll encounter during the interview, you’ll ensure you keep a level of control over situation and prevent any of the bad guys from winning!
