When taking a break is getting ahead

Good Monday morning,

It's the last Monday of August — "the dog days" of summer are coming to an end, and the new recruiting season will pick up after Labor Day. There's a rhythm to recruiting over the course of the year, and the peaks of activity are "New Year" and "Back-to-School".

After summer vacations wind down, companies begin to gear up: executives are back in the office, it's easier to schedule interviews, and the headcount required for 2011 is starting to loom on the "to do" lists of the HR department.

So next week I'm going to tell you how to get ramped up for the new season.

This week? I'm going to tell you to relax. Specifically, I'm going to ask you to take Friday off from your job hunt.

It's one of those truisms that looking for a job is a job in itself. And like any work that you do, you need to take a break in order to be refreshed, have your batteries charged, and to have the energy and drive to succeed.

As Americans, we tend to not take a balanced approach to work and life. "The business of America is business" as one president put up. We take our BlackBerries to the beach, check our email at midnight, and we do working lunches all the time. It's a pretty strenuous lifestyle.

But this week, I want you to get out of that rut. I want you to get recharged and refreshed for September. And I want you to relax.

So on Friday, please, take some time to do just that. Duck out of the office early, don't focus on the job search, don't put the finishing touches on your resume, and, yes, take a break from your activity here on TheLadders (although we'll be here for you all day — just in case).

Take a break and go do something that you love. Whether it's hitting the links, or going with the girls to see "Eat Pray Love", or just taking a run in the hills. Get out of the office and get into a good state of mind before the long weekend.

So, please, take Friday off from the job search, and make it a day to get on to a different path.

We'll be here when you get back, and we'll make it a great September... together.

OK, Readers, have a great week, er... I mean, four days, in your job search!

Warmest regards,

Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, TheLadders.com

Follow me on Twitter here.

Author's note:

I've been writing these newsletters weekly for almost a decade in order to provide you with the advice, encouragement, and assistance you need in your professional job hunt. I'll take what we've learned at TheLadders during the week, or experiences I've had with job-seekers all over the country, and try to find a usable lesson, a valuable insight, or a helpful tip to share with you on Monday morning (my writing deadline is 3 p.m. every Sunday afternoon).

I do read every one of your replies to this newsletter. Because of the volume of replies — typically over 1,000 per week — I'm unable to answer you personally, but one of our very qualified staff from our Job Search Support team will get back to you — most of the time within three hours or less.

As I am interested in every reply I get, I'll also occasionally reach out directly by phone or by email to say thanks, or ask a question, or to see how we can solve your problem better. Thanks for reading!