Funemployment? I welcome it.
Written on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 | Filed under: Random Observations
Funemployment can be added to the English dictionary if the economy keeps tanking and unemployment continues to rise and as long as the government keeps providing weekly unemployment checks. Yes, the economy is bad and it may very well be better to have a job (a job because doubt many of us are in the career field we sought out to be) with a steady paycheck and health coverage provided by a company. However, from a different perspective, I am a bit envious of the people enjoying their unemployment status because of their optimism as well as new found ability to re-evaluate one’s self cause quite frankly there really isn’t much other options.
I would welcome unemployment if it meant that there was a severance package plus weekly unemployment checks. What a golden opportunity it would be. Time off to evaluate myself. Decide a befitting career in front me. Pursue something I actually have passion for. Forced time off, extended vacation due to economic circumstance yet still be paid to live. Why would any professionals with no obligations that have been laid off since last year be in a rush to re-enter the job market?
This unemployment period should be considered funemployment for those lucky enough to have obtained the criteria of severance plus steady unemployment checks. This scenario may even be better than any summer break or after one graduates undergrad studies because at that time period, you didn’t have a steady job, didn’t have any work experience and most likely still be under your parent’s roof. It wasn’t like after you graduated you found your calling right away or had the resources and time to figure out whom you were. If anything, you just looked for a job for experience-sake.
This time, your mid-career, understand the under workings of society and corporate business economics and know exactly what you want out of life. During my undergrad studies and even after graduating, I still had no clue on what I wanted to do for a career. After graduating undergrad, it was more like find job, pay my dues and figure things out along the way. Then half a decade passes by, I am in a job or industry I dislike and become numb to accept the role I am in, in society. Again, I am envious for those that can actually benefit from being unemployed and call it funemployment.
I know of many people that were laid off now pursuing an MBA now because finding a job was too difficult. Their outlooks already look brighter because when they receive their MBA and once the economy rebounds combined with previous corporate work experience; they’ll probably end up in a better position than before. Besides doing graduate studies, others are becoming entrepreneurs by starting a business. People are a resilient species especially when put in stress situations that force us to survive.
Life experience. How can one actually enjoy life when they cannot enjoy what they do? Its a recurring sentiment with many unemployed people that they re-evaluate their position and figure out that they have been living with sole purpose to work. Forget that, life’s short. I want to live!
So lets not be too down if you are unemployed and can actually gain some productivity from this extended unemployment. See it as a golden opportunity and are actually the exception to the rule. Find yourself and I look for you lucky folks to help us out in the near future as we are the ones still keeping this economy going. But again, if I were laid off and can go through funemployment, I’d welcome it.
Tags: extended vacation, funemployment, mba, self-evaluation, unemployment