Take Time Off Before Your Public Interest Job-Hunt

Memorial Day--formerly known as Decoration Day-- seems like a good day to talk about taking time off. While you might think of it just as a long weekend, a time for BBQs and sales, the holiday initially honored  Union soldier who had served in the Civil War, then expanded after WWI to include U.S. military casualties of any war. It's a national holiday to honor those who truly served in the public interest, but of course not everyone has the day off. 

But when you graduate or finish school as an undergrad, if you don't have a job lined up right away, I urge you to give yourself a few weeks off, if you can afford it, before you start your non-profit job or internship search. And when you find one, if you've just graduated and you're taking a full time job, don't feel you have to start the day after you are made an offer. If you were leaving another job, your new employer would expect you to have to give at least two weeks' notice, so you can probably negotiate your start date. It's much easier to delay starting than to get time off after you've started; then, the vacation clock is ticking and usually when you're new, you're at the bottom of the vacation totem pole. For many non-profits, unless they are desperate to have you start right away, it's cheaper for them to have you start later and even to give you more vacation time than a higher salary, so don't forget this when you're negotiating.

If you're going to spend your few weeks off worrying about not having a job or being hounded by parents, then obviously I wouldn't recommend this course of action. But after finishing your college career or another academic year, you deserve some down time--and you'll probably find yourself readier and fresher for the job hunt if you're relaxed and well-rested. So take a break! You don't know when you'll get another chance...