Job Search Memory: How to Train Your Brain

There will be many occasions during your job search when you need to delve into the mists of time and remember aspects of your career that have long been forgotten. Your job search memory will be called into regular action.

Your mind might go blank when a recruiter asks you a competency question about something you did eight years ago. Then you sit and wrack your brains as you flesh out the details of your accomplishments for online applications. Most importantly, when the pressure is on during an interview, your story is far less fluent if you are constantly pausing for thought. 

Struggling with a poor memory can also give the impression that you are making it up as you go along. Not a good look when you are aiming to impress.

Your brain can retain up to 2.5 petabytes of information (equivalent to over a million movies), so you can be sure that all those memories are in there somewhere. You simply need to train your brain to retrieve them more efficiently. It could well be the best investment you make in your job search.

Improve job search memory

Here are three activities that can help to train your memory for a job search:

Retrieve the memories by reliving your career stories.

Thinking through the sorts of stories that you might want to tell for each individual interview and ensuring that they are at the top of your mind is critical for interview success. Use moments of calm during your day to gently piece together the strands of the past. Look back on work you have done (if you still have access to it), talk with old workmates to spark old memories and visit old haunts to relive your experiences. Your memory is a muscle – if you use it actively, it will respond and reward you.

Lean into your “go-to” learning techniques.

Everyone remembers differently, so using the memory techniques that worked for you at school and university will likely pay dividends. You will have used them so many times that your brain will slip into the groove with ease. Some people retain information better when they read it, while others might choose to write it down. Many of us will benefit from piecing together the past whilst talking with a former colleague. Our brains are astounding organs, so lean in to however your brain works best.

Memory benefits

Realise the memory benefits of gamification.

Stimulating your neural pathways as you play various games can have a knock-on effect on your overall ability to retain and recall information. Apps such as Lumosity help strengthen your attention to detail, problem-solving and mental plasticity and old school activities like crosswords and jigsaws can have the same effect. The added element of enjoyment and achievement inherent in playing games is a welcome break from the stress of any job search. 

Of course, a job search is a stressful time, so choosing to practice mindfulness techniques can help to give your memory the bandwidth to work its magic.

If you look after your brain, it will be there for you when you need it most.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).