Andrew Seaman
Senior Managing Editor for Jobs & Career Development at LinkedIn News
Job seekers often operate under the belief that looking for work should be a full-time job. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that approach, few people have healthy relationships with work. Burnout is common due to overwork. Research also finds that people tend to work even when they do take time off.
Downtime is critical to performance. The work of a person who does not take breaks or days off will eventually suffer. The quality will erode. Mistakes will be made. Their enthusiasm will wane. If you're a job seeker in this scenario, it could mean being passed over for opportunities when recruiters or hiring managers question your passion and attention to detail. The result is a longer and tougher job search.
Embrace a Schedule
Embracing a schedule may sound counterintuitive to some people when it comes to taking breaks, but it's actually super beneficial.
Create Excuses to Socialize
Job searches can be lonely journeys. People often sit in front of their computers and send endless emails, applications, resumes, and more. One way to make sure you're not getting sucked into a digital dungeon is to create excuses to network and socialize.
"My advice for job seekers who feel stuck and overly focused is to attend seminars, webinars, and conferences related to their industry," writes Constance Johnson, who is an executive and leadership coach. "Staying updated on industry trends and news is part of their professional development."
Additionally, you can schedule coffees or lunches with people as part of your networking strategy. Informal conversations over food or drinks can help you relax while feeling productive.
Notice Warning Signs
Another strategy is to notice when you're on the road to burnout. Sometimes there are signs that will manifest in your job search.
"Breaks work best when fear causes overwhelm," writes Varun Negandhi, who is founder of Beyond Grad. "When helping my mentees with their job search process, I see fear kicking in mostly at three points."
He added that those include times when his mentees do not hear back from potential employers after submitting many applications; when they don't hear back from networking requests; and when they are left in the dark after interviews.
"At that point, I use the analogy from Formula 1," writes Negandhi. "In a sport where a split second is valuable, cars still need to take pit stops where they are stationary."
Whatever method you choose — maybe a combination of all three, make sure you're truly recharging your proverbial batteries. Also, it's possible that none of the methods I mentioned above will work for you. Many people have unique working styles that may dictate unique solutions to taking breaks.
Just remember to let go of the guilt tied to taking breaks during your job search. When done in tandem with an effective job search strategy, those breaks are likely to increase your odds of success.
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