10 Ted Talks To Watch That Will Help Prepare You For Your Job Hunt

If you don’t listen to many Ted talks, you really should because they’re great to lift your spirits and get you motivated to do pretty much anything in life. There are plenty to choose from that cover everything from the inner workings of your brain to how you express yourself through speech and body language. Compiled here, are 10 Ted talks that will help get you through the rather stressful period of job hunting. No matter what stage you’re at in your career, there will be something here that is guaranteed to help.

1) Daniel Levitin – How To Stay Calm When You Know You’ll Be Stressed

Neuroscientist, Daniel Levitin presented one of the best Ted talks all about how you really aren’t yourself when you are stressed. He explains the theory of pre-meditating what your potential failures could be if you’re feeling under pressure. It’s actually a pretty genious way to think as you’re basically saving your future self. Now, we could all benefit from that right?

2) Regina Hartley – Why The Best Hire Might Not Have The Perfect Resume

Human resources executive, Regina Hartley, is backing all job candidates who may not have everything perfect on paper but who show the personality of a fighter. Second on the list of Ted Talks, here she explains how passion and purpose are two of the most useful weapons you can have. So, if you’re not feeling too confident about your CV, show off your personality as best you can in an interview.

3) Celeste Headlee – 10 Ways To Have A Better Conversation

When job hunting, it’s inevitable that you’re going to have to converse with a lot of people. If you’re lucky, your parents may have pushed you to do things outside your comfort zone growing up. However, if you feel like you could definitely communicate better, this may be one of the most enlightening Ted talks for you.

4) Scott Dinsmore – How To Find And Do Work You Love

Something else to think about when job hunting is what you actually want to do in life. You may be young now and that means you’ve got a long life ahead of working to fund the lifestyle of your dreams. Before even filling in that application form, make sure you have a good idea of what you do and don’t want to do.

5) Jenny Siu – How I Overcame The Millenial Job Hunting Barriers

This one is great if you’ve travelled overseas to recieve higher education in another country because it’s all to do with overcoming language and cultural barriers. Adapting to cultural differences can be hard however Jenny Siu, orginally from Gran Canaria with Chinese heritage, is a pro and here to help.

6) Carol Fishmen Cohen – How To Get Back To Work After A Career Break

Whether you graduated and took a gap year or took a break to recharge and think about what you actually want to do life, out of all the Ted talks this one is truly indispensible. This is definitely one to watch if you’re in need of a morale boost and to reboot your brain.

7) Larry Smith – Why You Will Fail To Have A Great Career

Now, don’t be put off by the title of this one. Funny and straight-to-the-point speaker, Larry Smith, takes an alternative approach. By watching him call out the absurd excuses people give when they have failed to pursue their passions, you’ll have even more motive not to become one of them.

8) Bel Pesce – 5 Ways To Kill Your Dreams

We’re all guilty of letting our inner pessismist slip out every now and again. This is one of the most innovative Ted talks which centers itself around 5 myths that we tend to believe and use as reasons why we don’t strive to purse our dreams. When job hunting, it’s incredibly important not to turn down any opportunities even if they intimidate you.

9) Casey Brown – Known Your Worth, And Then Ask For It

It’s all about confidence. No matter what stage you’re at in your career whether you’re thinking about leaving or hunting for a new job, you should never settle. This one that’s next on the list of Ted talks will enoucrage you to think about how you can improve your communication skills to finally leap for that opportunity you’ve been eyeing up.

10) Jason Chen – Looking For A Job? Highlight Your Ability, Not Your Experience

Finally, one of the most important things to keep in mind throughout the whole job hunting process is your talent. What can you do? What are your abilities? When being aspirational and trying to move up in the world of work, sometimes you’ve got to emphasise what you’re capable of rather than what you’ve done in the past. And, if you do this well, you’ll be on the road to success.

It’s great to listen and watch motivational speakers and talks from people with first-hand experience. You can even do it from the comfort of your own home rather than trying to locate and attend the best ones because there are plenty to choose from on YouTube.