So you haven’t seen or heard much from me recently. Why is that? The truth is I have a job now and I was working a lot of extra hours. Is that rude? When people who are working too many hours complain about it to someone who is unemployed? What do you think? It kind of feels like it’s rude to me, but yet… NOT talking about what is going on in your life because your friend has a…
This post is the first of what I hope will become a series, checking back in on folks who once felt stuck in unemployment and despaired of ever getting out among the working again. These stories are unlikely to consist of tales where everyone lived happily ever after. Still I think there is a value to being able to fast forward from someone’s time being unemployed to see what happened. It gives us a chance to see someone’s “future” when…
1) Out with Bad Feelings If you hoped to get a job and you didn’t there are bound to be some bad feelings hanging out at your house, whether they are disappointment, anger, sadness or shock. You need to acknowledge those feelings and then use your favorite methods for chasing them away. Suggestions include: exercising venting to a friend screaming out loud (One person said she would drive all the way around the DC beltway screaming so as not to…
I loved the first part of Unemployment Boot Camp: Tactics for Surviving and Thriving in the 21st Century as Long described working for a company that was laying people off in waves. Her humor about a situation that “causes you to reach heights of paranoia the likes of which you haven’t experienced since junior high” made me laugh and her observations rang true to me. The second half of the book was more matter of fact. Here is what you…
I lost my job with IBM in September 2013. It was not personal. IBM needed to “realign their resources (people) to be more effective.” That’s corporate-speak for pushing people out the door because the company doesn’t want them or can’t afford them any more. How did I feel when I heard that I was losing my job? Shocked. I didn’t see that one coming. Several years of layoffs had taught me that IBM might layoff anyone, regardless of their abilities,…
One of the basic premises of The UP Side of Down is that we need to stop expecting things to always go smoothly and well. There are some great examples of success comes from those who are unafraid to jump in and make mistakes. This is an important point and something I agree with. I know as a parent I hated to see my children experience disappointment. But if you never experience the sting of disappointment as a child, what…
You might wonder what scenes of mountains, lakes, ducks or flowers have to do with unemployment. I chose these background images for two reasons. 1) I know I can’t turn Unemploymentville into a glamorous, fun-filled destination. At the risk of repeating myself, this ain’t Disney World and it never will be. BUT…. I want your stay or visit to Unemploymentville to be as pleasant as possible. Odds are you are currently feeling stressed and depressed. Why not surround yourself as…