If you’re like most pinners, you’ve probably created boards for recipes to try, puppy pictures to admire, DIY projects to attempt, and future nuptials to plan. (Yes, we have, too.)
But puppies and mason jar projects aside, Pinterest can actually be an invaluable tool for your career. Whether you’re looking for a new job, dreaming about your future company, or just looking for something to wear, try putting together one of the strategic boards below. Unlike those DIY projects that you can never seem to get to, they’ll provide an immediate and practical way to plan, inspire, and improve your professional life.
Companies I’d Love to Work For
Regardless of your current employment status, this board can benefit your career development. If you’re happily employed, bookmark dream companies that your current position may be preparing you for—then, when you’re ready to move on, you’ll have an abundance of options. Or, use them as inspiration to make changes to your current role. What do these companies have or do that makes them so awesome? Weekly happy hours? An office library? Pinpoint these things, then incorporate them on a smaller scale into your daily routine.
If you’re on the job hunt—even better! These pins will keep your dream companies fresh in your mind, motivate your job search, and inspire you to submit quality, targeted applications. And, as you pin more and more, you’ll probably start seeing a pattern—maybe you’re drawn to creative companies with flexible hours and open workspaces, or tech companies with top-of-the-line equipment. You’ll then be able to focus your search on those types of companies—and dramatically increase your chances of finding a career you love.
Work Wardrobe Remix
Tired of wearing the same blouse and slacks combination to the office every day? While it’s easy to drool over the outfits on Pinterest (“I would have that exact same outfit, if I just bought those pants, that shirt, and those shoes”), they usually prompt trips to the mall, instead of helping you make the most of the wardrobe you already own.
To exercise your creativity (without thinning your wallet) create a board solely for remixing the clothes in your existing closet. How? Don’t take every pin literally—instead, let them inspire you to pair colors and prints you hadn’t thought of before.
Say you pin an outfit of a floral skirt, navy striped top, and gold heels. No, you don’t have a floral skirt or gold heels (and even if you did, you probably wouldn’t wear that combo to work). But you do have a floral scarf and some chunky gold bracelets that you can pair with your navy striped blouse and khaki slacks—and voilà! A practical, yet fashion-forward work ensemble.
Guide to My New Hobby
If the skills section on your resume could use a little sprucing up, you’ve probably considered picking up a new professional hobby—like blogging to better your writing skills, or programming to land a position at a tech start-up. Whatever you choose, this pin board can be a guide to get you started.
Although Pinterest is very visual, it’s also an effective bookmarking tool. By pinning pictures directly from blogs and articles, you’ll forever have the links to that content saved, categorized, and easily accessible. So, start bookmarking guides, tips, and expert blogs focused on your activity of choice. When you need some guidance, you’ll have an abundance of resources to choose from.
Resume Makeover
Before you revamp your resume, create a board for visual inspiration—Pinterest is the ideal place to gather a collection of well-made resumes and compare them side-by-side.
If you’re in a creative field, you get an unusual degree of flexibility and the options are endless—color schemes, graphics, timelines, and photos. But even if your resume (like most of ours) is confined to black and white, there’s plenty of reason to curate a group of inspirational resumes. When you look at your pin board to compare, you’ll easily be able to pick out the ones that look the sleekest, classiest, and most professional. Then, you can combine the elements you like most to create your dream resume.
Then, go a step beyond design elements and pin resumes that are amazingly worded or perfectly organized. While you shouldn’t go as far as stealing lines from someone else’s resume, you can get a feel for what words and phrases work particularly well.
My Future Headquarters
If you’re a budding entrepreneur, you’ve probably thought about your future company headquarters—you know, the one with the slide connecting the top floor to the ground level?
To cultivate and focus your future company atmosphere, create a board for your someday office. Start with standard office layouts and décor (cubicles or open workspaces?), but also consider the culture you’d want to promote. Do you want a fun, social office? You might pin pictures of snack dispensers or a Wii lounge. A serene, outdoors-based company might want a calmer ambiance, with a meditation room or a bike-sharing program.
Try drawing inspiration from offices of existing start-ups, as well. Facebook and Google are known for their posh spaces, but there’s an abundance of others to check out—try Red Frog Events, Etsy, or Foursquare.
If you’re looking for motivation to start that company you’ve been dreaming of, this board will inspire you to get in gear and make it happen.
Tell us! Have you created Pinterest boards that have been helpful for your career?
