• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Services
  • Contact

VocationVillage.com

Don’t Job Search Full Time!

By Janet Scarborough Civitelli, Ph.D. Last updated on August 15, 2013

If you are unemployed and you are looking for a new job, you’ve probably heard the advice that you should job search full time, just like if you had a full time job. Despite the grief I get from many career coaches, I disagree!

Job Search Full Time

Despite the plethora of career advice experts and well-intentioned family and friends who seem to think that a “good enough” job search requires a 40 hours per week investment of time, I think this is unrealistic and bad career advice. When job seekers hear career advice like this, it makes them think that if they aren’t actively looking for a job from 8 am to 5 pm five work days per week, they aren’t doing enough and they will be doomed to permanent unemployment. Based on my twenty years of career coaching experience, my observations say otherwise.

I believe job search should take 20-25 hours per week, with the remaining time devoted to self-care. Job search can be one of the most emotionally demanding things you’ve ever done, so you need to be in the best shape of your life. Rather than spend eight hours every day seeking employment, I recommend that you save plenty of time to exercise, spend time with supportive family and friends, enjoy your hobbies, meditate/pray, read things that are interesting to you professionally or otherwise, and do whatever it takes to feel strong and centered.

If finances are a concern, you may also want to find a part-time job or do freelancing or consulting to reduce money panic, too. Desperation is never an attractive trait for job seekers, so stabilizing finances can be important for peace-of-mind.

Job search is more like a marathon than a sprint. By taking great care of yourself and refusing to buy into the mistaken belief that job search full time is the best way, I think you’ll get better results than if you wear yourself out with burnout-inducing overkill.

What do you think? If you successfully landed a job either looking full-time or looking less than full-time, please share your job search story in the comments below.

Share this...

Filed Under: Job Search

Primary Sidebar

Follow Me

RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

Recent Blog Posts

  • Move Beyond Either-Or Thinking
  • COVID-19 Series: Advice from Executive Recruiters
  • Career Change Success Story: From Wildlife Biologist to Content Writer
  • COVID-19 Series: Resources to Find Help
  • COVID-19 Series: How to Find a Remote Job
  • How to Answer “What Are Your Strengths?”
  • How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

Popular Posts

  • Strengths Assessment: 10 Ways to Know What You Are Good at Doing
  • Job Interview Advice Hiring Managers Wish They Could Tell You
  • Side Gig Success Stories: 11 Ways to Earn an Extra $1000+ Per Month
  • Directory of Seattle Nonprofit Organizations
  • Seattle Recruiters and Employment Agencies
  • How To Re-Enter The Workforce After A Long Absence
  • What Recruiters Wish You Knew About Career Fairs
  • How to Lose a Job: Rescinded Job Offer Horror Stories

Search This Site

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
Age 50+
Ask A Career Coach
Assessment
Austin
Books
Career Advancement
Career Change
Career Decision-Making
Career Profile
COVID-19
Entrepreneurship
Happiness At Work
Houston
Job Interview
Job Search
Nonprofit
Remote Employment
Resume Advice
Salary Negotiation
Seattle
Social Media
Work-Family Integration
Workplace Psychology

Copyright © 2008–2021 | Site Index | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Disclosure