Workplace

After getting over the initial shock of being laid off, Boston software designer David Adler decided to make the most of his unexpected free time, said Jenn Abelson in The Boston Globe. Adler is actively looking for a job, knowing that savings, unemployment, and severance will only go so far. But a job search isn’t his sole project. “The 42-year-old spends his days doting on his 6-month-old daughter, visiting museums with his family, and preparing for a possible exhibit of his photos at a local coffee shop.”

Taking it easy—if that fits your personality­—can actually be a “really great strategy,” said Peter Bregman in Harvard Business Review. Just as people often find love when they least expect it or finally get pregnant after giving up, job searchers may improve their chances if they “stop trying so hard.” A better idea: Spend one to two hours a day looking for work, and the rest doing something you enjoy, preferably with other people. You’ll be networking—and also making sure you’re a happier, more interesting person. “Depressed is not attractive. People want to hire energized people who are passionate and excited about what they’re doing.”

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