The End of the Week Thoughts

For an active job seeker, Friday afternoons can be a bit of a downer if you are still unemployed---not for me though, at the moment. It is a time to catch up on things you've been meaning to do (update your blog, research contacts, plan the next week's contacts and meetings, etc.). I remember at my most recent employer that Friday afternoons seemed quiet, as many people seemed to be settling in to a "weekend" mentality.

For the unemployed or underemployed jobseeker, Friday afternoons isn't really the end of the job seeking week, but a pause in the process. I ask people how many hours each day they spend in their job hunt....or to lessen their embarassment, I ask them if they are putting in 8 hours a day in job hunting, and since Friday is still a "business" day, there is no reason to slow down the job search.

One plan of attack is to try to set up appointments for Friday afternoon (not LATE Friday afternoon) or plan lunch with your contacts on Friday. Some people are thinking about the weekend on Fridays, and they may be a bit more relaxed when talking to you.

I also recommend that you plan to take Friday night off, especially if you've been putting 8-10+ hours a day making calls, talking to people, emailing all over, as you're no doubt tired. I've been very fortunate to have the ability to "turn off" when I leave my place of employment or when I declare it the "end of the job-hunting day." I think being able to forget about work for a night or day not only keeps you sane, but it will help be fresh and fully engaged when you hit the ground running on Monday. Have a good, restful weekend!