Unemployed? Are You Rocking or Are You Rolling?

Losing your job is more than just losing a source of income.

It often brings on a loss of self esteem, especially with men, who too often equate work with identity. Extended periods of unemployment can bring on shame, hopelessness and depression.

An interesting study

Studies by University of Chicago economist Bruce Meyer and Harvard’s Lawrence Katz show that people are most likely to find a job just as their unemployment benefit runs out. The length of the unemployment is irrelevant; whether two weeks or ninety-nine weeks, they find work just as the benefit expires. Assuming the merit of this study, I conclude that many do not passionately pursue employment until they know that real hunger is really close.

But what has happened to this person in the interim?

I suspect that the shame, low self esteem and possible depression has become more and more deeply entrenched into the psyche of the individual. The longer the time frame, the greater the erosion of confidence, creativity and enthusiasm.

Challenge and Encouragement

If you are currently without work, I want to challenge and encourage you. You may have read that Congress is currently considering extending the unemployment benefit again, but let me ask, “Do you really think it is in your best interest to rock for month after month after month? Do you want your life on hold or would you rather be rolling?” There are lots of jobs out there…many are seasonal and many require relocation and many don’t pay very well. But working is therapeutic; it cleans your spirit, brings new energy into your life and often opens doors into long term and meaningful careers.

So…are you ready?

Here are only a few of the hundreds of jobs that employers are offering. I will give a link to the web site and a brief job description from the prospective employer:

Alaska Fishing Job: Alaska fish processing companies offer many benefits to their employees, including good wages, free lodging and meals, and often free transportation to and from Alaska if you fulfill all your contractual obligations. Jobs include working on the processing line, operating machinery, being a deckhand, quality control, or even finding a job as a government inspector or aquaculture scientist.
Work on a Cruise Line “Shipboard employees are typically divided into departments relating to service, passenger accommodations (sometimes called “hotel administration”), entertainment jobs, general ship maintenance, engine work, and safety. Different cruise lines use variations on these categories, but for our purposes we have divided onboard job descriptions into the areas of Activity/Entertainment, Deck & Engineering, Service/Hospitality, and Personal Care.”
“Working at a dude ranch can be one of the most incredible experiences you ever have, leaving you with memories and friends that will last your entire life.”
Broadcasting Jobs: Learn about radio and television broadcasting career options, including on-air and post-production jobs. Audio engineering, script writing, producing, directing, and even Internet podcasting
Green Collar Jobs: What is a green collar job? Find out! Environmental job trends, green energy jobs in the wind and solar sectors, plus environmental law and green science employment opportunities.
Pyrotechnic Jobs: Find out how to become a licensed commercial pyrotechnician. Learn about fireworks display training, transporting hazardous materials, and more.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

I got most of these job opportunities from the Job Monkey web site, but I have included several web sites where dozens of employers are advertising for thousands of jobs. Take time to browse…you might just find something you had never considered.

I want to close this out by challenging those who are unemployed to consider this time of your life as an opportunity to try something you may have never done had you continued in your previous job. These two vignettes (told by career coach Dan Miller) make my point:

“Honey, I just got fired.”

When Nathaniel Hawthorne went home to break the news to his wife that he had been fired, her response was, “Good. Now you can write your book.” “But what will we live on meantime?” Hawthorne asked. “With this,” she replied, opening a drawer full of cash. “I have always known you were a man of genius, so I have been saving a little each week. We have enough here to live for a year.” You can probably guess the rest of the story: Hawthorne used the time to write “The Scarlet Letter,” a great American literary masterpiece.

Fortune During the Depression

When Charles B. Darrow of Germantown, Pennsylvania was unemployed during the Great Depression, he passed the time by creating a board game that provided the possibility of fame and fortune. This game is still the best selling board game in the world. What is it? Monopoly.

You might not write an American masterpiece or invent a great board game, but my guess is that there is some untapped passion waiting to be expressed.

Now just might be your time.