The Zen of Job Hunting

Desperately seeking employment? Spending hours on job sites, with not an offer in sight?

“Give up,” writes Peter Bregman over at HarvardBusiness.org. “Not completely. But mostly. Stop trying so hard.”

We’re totally on board with this idea. Yes, it’s a tough job market. Yes, it’s important to be looking after your career. But that doesn’t mean obsessing over your resume, growing pale and wan because you spend hours each day scouring the internet for openings.

You can get burnt out just as easily job hunting as you can on the job, generate tons of stress and waste acres of time that you could be using to network, explore other opportunities, or simply enjoy your life while you’ve got it. Indulge in your passions, or test out activities you’ve always wanted to try. Broaden your horizons–you never know what new doors will open as a result.

But back to job hunting. Bregman, C.E.O. of Bregman Partners, a global leadership development and change management firm, offers these rules: