If you don't already, workout every day! get in the habit while you have no excuse not to go. Once you get in the habit, you won't stop after you start working.
Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
21–30 of 76 posts
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#22Personally I’d turn off my electronics, grab some books and go hiking in the wilderness. At least for a couple weeks. You may never get a chance to be this “unplugged” again.
To be less extreme, I'd go road tripping, carrying a camera and tablet/e-reader and not a laptop.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#23Learn to use Blender. Or invent yet another new programming language.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#24I personally write blog posts I find interesting[1], catch up around the house (new jobs typically take up more time than old), and take long walks or runs (maybe play some video games or read).
Personally, I have trouble not being productive (or at least feeling productive). Often this leads me to pick up a news skill (eg cooking Indian cuisine, leaning Haskell, installing a news Linux district, etc).
Last time I had two months off I wrote a website to help you invest by tacking insiders at companies who speak publically: https://projectpiglet.com/
Incidentally, I'll likely be taking a month or so off shortly to just clean the garage and build a couple pieces of furniture. Along with taking care of my son (preturnity leave, but plan to leave him in day care a couple days a week).
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#25Beware of "cool" things - it's a waste of time and money, likely dangerous for health. Skydiving and travelling to Cambodia or Mongolia is an unimpressive cliche. Catch up on health (posture, sight, diet). Catch up with family. Sort out any outstanding paperwork (tax declarations, pension related). Sleep long. Read.
Skydiving is both fun and not that dangerous. It's "cool" for a reason.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#26This question depends very much on WHETHER OR NOT THE NEXT JOB IS ALREADY LINED UP. If I don't have to worry about my unemployment, then for two months I would spend more time with my family and on personal interests that refresh my mind and spirit. Otherwise, I would spend the two months networking and interviewing toward the next job. A job hunt IS a full-time job. Quite frankly, a more time-consuming and stressful…
This is myself as well. I'm still working the job that I got right out of college. Even though I'm confident in my networking and programming ability, I would still be panicked into finding my next job immediately. If I had my next job lined up, however, I would be visiting family and friends, and likely traveling any practicing my photography. You're not offered that kind of extended leave often - I would certainly take advantage of it.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#27Probably just more of the same stuff I do in me free time. Work on music, cycling, beer drinking, and lots more sleep.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#28I just did that this summer. I saw a bunch of friends, went out a lot made more friends, traveled around my state to see old friends...
But the thing that was most satisfying was committing to volunteer work every single week. People complain so much about social injustice and how we should tax this and that... Very few will open their pockets or put the time in to actually make a difference.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#29Solo backpacking in Central/South America or Asia.
Re: Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing?
#30This question depends very much on WHETHER OR NOT THE NEXT JOB IS ALREADY LINED UP. If I don't have to worry about my unemployment, then for two months I would spend more time with my family and on personal interests that refresh my mind and spirit. Otherwise, I would spend the two months networking and interviewing toward the next job. A job hunt IS a full-time job. Quite frankly, a more time-consuming and stressful…
Don't you read posts here? If you have a pulse you send an email or two and have a new FAANG job paying $400K in a couple days.
Somewhat annoyingly (but not really), the one time I had 6 weeks or so off I did spend it job hunting. [This was during dot-bomb by way of context.] Somewhat annoyingly because the conversation I had with a company owner I knew literally about a couple of days after I was laid off led to an eventual job offer at the small company. But, of course, I didn't know that at the time.
And the job after that was the usual case of "How soon can you start?"
If I knew I'd have a couple months off, I'd quickly book tickets to someplace I wanted to take an extended vacation to.