After about a year or so of unemployment I started noticing patterns so I wanted to finally begin codifying what for me are the patterns all around me. The fundamentals of unemployment. This list will change, flow, and be a notepad from which I’ll glean ideas for posts. They will be in no discernable order. Leave a comment or drop me a note if your time in the line has shown you other fundamentals.
My personal fundamentals of unemployment
- Anyone you speak to could lead you to a job, so be ready with your job title
- Your unemployment will make people you meet wiser than you
- Being unemployed makes other people uncomfortable
- Others will help you based on their past not your present
- Start a consulting company
- Take some time each day to retool and re-educate
- Just getting a job isn’t enough
- The reason you are unemployed doesn’t matter, not now
- You will be defined by your unemployed status
- There is now a gulf between you and the employed/retired world
- Be creative in your approach
- Keep your family on your side
- Being a jack-of-all trades doesn’t help you
- You occasionally need a holiday
- Money is not a holy relic. If you have to dip into retirement, then do it
- People will tell you they will check on a lead they know of but don’t expect them to
- You will be the problem du jour for some who will forget about you soon enough
- You can’t go home again, this will change you. Embrace that
In Search of a Job Title 