The biggest sporting event on the planet has more to offer to job seekers than you might expect.

Even if you don’t have an interest in soccer, or football, you can still apply the same principles and strategies to your job hunting endeavors. Here’s what we mean:

6 World Cup strategies you can apply to your job seeking efforts:

Have a specific goal

The teams that qualified for the World Cup have an obvious target: they want to be crowned world champions.

Likewise, having a clear goal is the first step when searching for a job. If you know exactly what you’re looking for, you are much more likely to be selective, prioritize your time and choose companies which match your goals. Also, when you know what you want, you will be more motivated (in this case, a specific position or ideal company you want to work for).

Get organized

The World Cup requires a tremendous amount of organization and planning, starting years in advance of the tournament.

Organization is key when searching for jobs and locating opportunities. We all have the same 24 hours each day, but those who organize themselves will succeed more quickly than those who go by whim.

Have a backup plan

In soccer, players get injured, sick, and things don’t always go according to plan. However, the winning team has the ability to improvise and make strategic changes.

On a similar note, the job market can be a minefield and there are very few straight paths to the career you really want. Applications get lost, interview times change, salaries are not adequate and so on.

To succeed, you must be willing to change your strategy, have a back up plan, and keep your long range goal in mind. For example, if a contact lets you down (for what was a promising meeting), who else could you call, or what provisions could be made so your time is not wasted.

Locate the big players/decision makers

Every soccer team usually has a star player. This player makes a bigger difference to the result of the game than every other teammate.

The same is true when job seeking. There are certain people within a company who can help you find a job, inform you of an upcoming vacant position, or even land you an interview. It is these “star players” that should become part of your network, as they will help to advance your career.

Don’t give up

Ultimately, the World Cup champions will be the team that never gave up, even when the game appeared to be lost. The determination to follow through to the end is what separates winners from losers.

While job hunting can be a tough ordeal at times, your persistence and belief in yourself will give you the encouragement to keep going and ultimately come out on top.

Have a great coach

Great players are nothing without their coaches. They help to instruct the players in the fundamentals of the sport while keeping them motivated, focused and inspired. Coaches are responsible for coming up with the game plan and helping the players from the sideline through the entire game.

If you are looking for a coach during your job hunt to provide you with a game plan for success then you should reach out to a Recruiter. PROVEN Recruiters are there to help keep you motivated and organized. They can even help you explore a backup plan or identify the big players/decision makers in the company you are targeting. Most importantly, having a recruiter as a coach will give you the accountability you need to not give up.