5 Things You Shouldn't Do When Your Looking For a Job

Being out of work is hard. It can make your finances a mess and give your ego a huge hit, but one of the things that no one seems to talk about is how it can wreck your daily routine and schedule. Suddenly, you don't have to get up at 6 am or even get to bed at a decent hour. You have large chunks of free time to spend doing all of the things that you never had time to do when you were working. If you are like me, you probably even have friends who ask you to do errands or help them out, since they are always too busy working to take care of them. Soon, you end up getting to know other people who don't work traditional 9-5 jobs and it's easy to get distracted.

Getting out of a routine makes it harder to get prepared for an interview or even make a strategic job search plan. It's hard to make it to an interview and appear well rested and energetic at 10am, when you haven't woken up before noon in over a month. Of course, I'm suggesting that you stick to a work schedule routine during your job search. After all, one of the few perks of being unemployed is being able to have more freedom. That being said, there are some things you shouldn't do when you are looking for a job.

• Crash diet or cleanses -It's tempting to do some self-improvement while you're out of work. In fact, it's a great time to further your personal goals. Workout, eat healthier and so on. However, don't start a crash diet or try out a cleanse, especially if you have an interview coming up. These can leave you feeling weak and shaky even on a good day and you don't want to run the risk of appearing weak and inattentive during an interview.

• Heavy drinking - Not having to work means that every day is Friday. It's understandable to want to drink more frequently when you don't have to get up early the next day, thinking that once you get back to work, you'll cut back. However, heavy drinking can really hurt your job search. For one, if you get a job, the first couple of weeks at work will be extra difficult because you will be drying out. Another problem is that drinking heavily increases your risk of legal issues like DWIs, assault, public intoxication, etc, which can hurt your job search.

• Staying up all night - Staying up all night might help you fill out more applications after your day is over, but in the long run, it's a bad idea. When we don't get enough sleep, our bodies really suffer. Lack of sleep can make people forgetful, less focused and raises the risks of depression or other health issues.

• Moving or getting married -Looking for a job is a huge stress; so is moving or getting married. Trying to do more than one at a time only compounds the stress levels. It's better to focus on getting a job and then turn your attention to other things. Still, there are times when it can't be avoided (like if you were to move for a job). In that case, just be prepared for more stress and be more patient with yourself and others.

• Book a vacation - Unless you already had a vacation planned, it's not a good idea to plan one when you're out of work. Most vacations require large deposits months ahead of time. If you get an interview or a job offer, you will have to ask for a large chunk of time off right at the beginning of the job, which can look bad. However, there are some employers who would be willing to work around your plans.

When you're out of work, you don't have to spend every moment of the day focused on finding a job. It's important to allow yourself to have fun and enjoy some of your free time. Just be careful that you aren't hurting your search.

Have you ever made one of these mistakes? Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments.