On Monday night, an incredible NCAA Championship game ended with two of the best shots many of us have ever seen in our lives. If you are anything like me, you probably jumped out of your seat and were ready to take on the world after watching North Carolina’s Marcus Paige drain his three-pointer to tie it, and then seeing Kris Jenkins hit a three-pointer as time expired to give Villanova the win.

If you have not had the pleasure of seeing these shots yet (what rock are you living under, kidding), they are in the post for your viewing pleasure.

When it comes to sports, there is so much inspiration to be provided to those watching. For job seekers who were former athletes, like me you probably felt like you could do anything when this game was over. But what can you really take away from these two shots and apply toward your job search? Well, we have a couple of suggestions for you.

Your job search is never over

The North Carolina Tar Heels were seemingly out of this basketball game, as Villanova looked like they had them on the ropes late in the second half. However, Paige and his teammates kept fighting back—putting themselves in position to tie it up with 13.5 seconds left in the game, down three points.

Sure, Paige’s shot was one of the craziest you may have ever seen—but it just goes to show that if you are willing to do whatever it takes, you can do the impossible. For a job seeker like you, that means if you are willing to put in the time and effort toward changing your career path, you will be able to do so.

Even if the opportunities seem bleak and you feel like you have applied for every job out there, your search is not over. North Carolina could have packed it in and lost this game around the five-minute mark of the second half, but they did not. Even though they ultimately lost, they gave it everything they had. If you do the same in your job search, you will find what you are looking for.

Do not let temporary defeat decide your job fate

On the other side of the court, Villanova gave up the lead and all of the momentum was swinging North Carolina’s way. Then Paige hit that three-pointer to tie the game with 4.7 seconds left, and it looked like the NCAA Championship would be settled in overtime—likely going North Carolina’s way because everything else was the final few minutes.

But Villanova head coach Jay Wright and his team would not let the temporary defeat late in the game decide their fate, as they went back to their preparation to earn the victory. It would have been very easy for the players to hang their heads and throw up some desperation heave, but that was not the case. Villanova knew the play they wanted, and they executed it to perfection, dishing off to Jenkins as the trailer for the open three.

How does this apply to your job search, you ask?

Well it is simple. You know what needs to be done to land the job you are searching for. You need to prepare a typo-free resume, write a well-written cover letter that explains why you want the job and are qualified for it, apply for the job in a timely manner and follow-up after applying. From there if you are selected for the interview, you know you need to be prepared to answer any questions, look the part and dominate that interview. If the interviewer throws you a curveball question, you will be ready for it because you have already prepared for it.

Preparation is key, and while you may have suffered temporary defeat by not being selected for other jobs you have applied for—you will be ready when your number is called. After all you are a former athlete, and you know what to do when your number is called.

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