Boo! How Halloween Can Help Your Career

Costumes, candy, pumpkins, and parties – Halloween is here! While you are getting into the spirit, career planning may be the farthest thing from your mind. After all, what can Halloween and your career plan have in common? Could be more than you think. Here are five things Halloween can teach you about planning your career path.

All Treats Aren’t Equal

I’ll trade you three packs of candy corn for a peanut butter cup. I remember the hard negotiations with my little brother, trying to improve my haul. I learned at an early age that not all candies are created equal. The same goes for the people handing out treats on Halloween night. Some people would give me dreaded candy corn, others bite-size morsels of sweetness, and a rare few doled out full-size candy bars. Your career is no different. All positions, and companies are not equal. When you were a child you learned where to go to get the good stuff. Your experience paid off. Use the same tactics in your career to land that king-size-chocolate-bar-of-a-job.

Dare to be Anything You Want

One of the most exciting things about Halloween is deciding what you want to be. You can be anything. Some may require more effort, while others may require more skill. The key is to decide what you want to be, then prepare thoroughly. Oh, and you may want to be something completely different next year, and that’s ok. Sound familiar?

Creativity Pays Off

You put a lot of thought, time, and planning into your custom-made costume and it paid off. You won the prize at your neighborhood Halloween party! Usually the most creative costumes get more attention and more comments. The same goes for professionals. The more you stand out from the crowd, the more attention you’ll get.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Did you ever go home with your loot only to eat half of your bodyweight in sweets? I did, and it was a big mistake. My belly ached for days. Halloween is a holiday where we neglect certain norms. It’s ok to have a little bit of candy, but throwing out the rules and eating until it hurts can have real life consequences. Likewise, neglecting your career can be detrimental to your professional life.

You Don’t Have to Outgrow It

At a certain age a lot of kids quit trick-or-treating, while others continue for another year or two. In adulthood people change the way they celebrate. Some go to parties, others take their young children out on a candy hunt, and some stay at home to give out treats to the kids. Halloween changes as you grow from a child to old age. People still participate, just in different ways. Your career is the same way. It will change as you grow in experience. What you do in your later career will likely look little like what you did in the beginning. It’s still your career, but just like Halloween you participate differently.

Danielle Foppe is a Recruitment Manager at Business Centric Technology. If you are interested in learning more about how to get the best IT talent in the Dallas metroplex, contact Danielle specializes in recruiting IT talent in Dallas, Ft. Worth and North Texas. If you are looking for a rewarding career contact us today.