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Mentor
Yes and no. I would say you should spend 4 hours max looking for a job and the rest of the time enjoy your free time. Otherwise you’re getting too caught up in just waiting, as HR is slow
I’ve been spending about 4-5 hours a day for 3 days a week, and another 2-3 for 2 days a week. Been at it for about 1 month and have half a dozen active leads (first interview or later) plus half a dozen other leads that are luke warm (discussions to “keep in touch” as people try and create roles or recruiter help connect me with companies not necessarily actively looking at this stage but with which they have relations). I’m using the rest of my time to pick up and drop off my kids at school, play with them, cook, spend quality time with my wife, plan fun family activities, etc. and wouldn’t change a thing. That said, this probably depends on level you are exiting, what you want to do after, how competitive that segment is, your feelings about what you would feel like if this extended another 2 months vs 4 vs 6, etc.
You do you. These things are tough to benchmark, so best to take some time and think about what will make you feel best, then do that (if different from what you’re currently doing).
Mentor
If you’re unemployed, you should spend 50% applying and 50% working on something to build skills to make you more marketable and shows initiative
I might edit this to - working on something that you enjoy, and if it might be useful in the future, cool. If not, that’s ok, it’s good for your brain to keep learning and thinking about something not job searching.
For example, I’m quite a nerd and have recently found it fun to learn how to build websites. Will I ever use that in my career? Idk. Probably not. Am I enjoying it and learning something? Yes!!
Coach
It depends how you feel. Some says I applied
To jobs for 18 hours a day and some I didn’t apply for any
Also you should spend time maximizing your network - last year I reached out to those in my network and never actually applied to majority of positions at my preferred companies but was referred and got interviews at 3 of the Big 4.
My rough schedule when I was unemployed some years ago:
6:30AM - 6:45/7AM: Meditation/Motivational Music/Speaker etc.
7:30 - 9AM: Gym/Workout
9:30AM/10AM - Noon: Job Search/Apply/Network
Noon - 1PM: Lunch / Social Media / 'Brain Break'
1/1:30 - 3:30: Job Search/Apply/Network or 'Skills Development'
3:30 - 3:45: Meditate/Reflect
4:30 - 5:30: Video Games/ 'Veg'
I set daily touchpoint/application goals so I could tell myself it was okay to stop (minimum 2 apps or 3 direct hr contacts, etc.)
Find what works for you; this kept me focused, sane, and smiling because you gotta keep a happy perspective on it all!
Reskilling in this situation may be helpful. Try Udemy or Coursera. Learn something new that you may not have directly worked on in a project but is a hot topic in the industry. Eg. AI, ML
Mentor
I would set aside some time to go to networking events or take a test or certification. It takes your mind off things.
It probably depends on how desperate you are. Not too many ppl have the luxury of fun when they are unemployed for various reasons. If you’re comfortable, I’d agree with SM. Otherwise, keep pushing
OP, are you out of job now? I am on bench and been doing this everyday since last 4-weeks. I am going insane between trying to find next gig vs existing into industry. I feel like I lost focus and will be destined to fail at both soon! 🤯