The Philosophers' Cocoon

Those of you who have been on the academic job market know that it can be a very trying experience. Interviews are scarce and stressful, and one's career in the discipline literally lies in the balance. As Spiros explains here, it is really a lot to deal with, placing stress not only on candidates but on their loved ones. All of which raises (not begs!;) the question: what sorts of things can one do to mitigate the pressure, or "maintain sanity"?

I don't pretend to know what will work for everyone. However, having been on the market several times, I can say in no uncertain terms what has worked for me: not checking the job wiki. In past years, like many job seekers I checked the wiki incessantly. I wanted to know which jobs I was still in the running for, and which I was not. Unfortunately, I found that I seemed to gain nothing positive from it. Seeing job after job, day after day, pop up as "interviews scheduled" did little more than make me feel upset and anxious. In my experience, that daily grind of finding out I was no longer being considered was just awful.

And so I stopped. Actually, my wife insisted that I stop, and never check the wiki again. Because the job market was affecting her so much, I thought it was important to respect her wishes. While some job candidates seem to think that others have some kind of duty to update the wiki (see e.g. Dec 16, 1:52PM here), my first duty, I think, is to my family. Anyway, I have never checked it, and I have never been happier on the market. Although I receive the occasional PFO from time to time, by not checking the wiki I never have to face daily updates on the jobs I'm missing out on–and I sort of feel all strangely calm and "Zen" as a result!

So, then, if you're checking the wiki and finding the job season to be a stressful experience sent from the pits of Hell, I would really suggest resolving not to check it. Who knows? Perhaps you'll have a similar experience as me. Finally, I'm curious: does anyone else have any tips for the community on how to handle the market? Fire away!