Previously I disagreed with some common advice for people who have lost their job.

I want to add another familiar piece of advice to the list that you should throw in the garbage.

Do NOT follow the advice to ‘treat looking for a job as a full-time job.’

Here’s why:
1) Looking for a job is emotionally bruising. You give yourself a pep-talk, research a company or position, get psyched about getting the job so that you can convey genuine enthusiasm, offer yourself and your services and get….

Silence

Rejection

Or maybe some encouraging feedback or an interview which is then followed by…

Silence

Rejection

All this sucks which is why you should not subject yourself to it 40 hours a week. I repeat: Looking for a job is emotionally bruising. Prizefighters don’t enter the ring day after day and neither should you. Instead choose a day or two, at most, a week to focus on searching for a job. The other days are for recovering which leads me to reason number 2 that you should absolutely, positively, NOT treat looking for a job as a full-time job.

2) If you look for a job “full-time” then you have all the disadvantages of being employed — lack of free time, too much time spent inside, too much time spent hunched over a computer with none of the advantages, such as a paycheck. No, I highly recommend you take advantage of the fact that you do not have to call in late or get someone to cover your shift if you want to go for a hike, pick the kids up from school early, take an exercise class, go visit your mom, try a new recipe, plant some flowers or any number of fun activities that will add a spring to your step.

3) Last reason to NOT make your job search a full-time job. Anything that you spend 40 (more or less) hours focusing on per week is going to seem incredibly important in your mind. If you search for a new job full-time, then you are more likely to be depressed if you don’t get good results (an offer) quickly. A sense of desperation is more likely to hang over your head and even follow you into your next interview. No, no, no, no — a thousand no’s to spending every day looking for a job. Take a break, make yourself happy and whole. Your upbeat energy will make you a more attractive job candidate.

So that’s my 2 cents.

What do you think?