Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Being Unemployed

The first time I was unemployed, I was heavily in debt and worked really really hard at looking for another job. In fact, I almost ran out of benefits before I actually found a job.

It was a humbling experience. Even though I had worked since I was 18 years old, every time I met with the people at the unemployment office, they made me feel like I was taking money from their pockets. They interviewed people at their own pace and treated you like you were scum.

The second time, I had a little notice before the axe fell. I had been mailing out resumes, talking to recruiters and had several interviews lined up by the time I was let go. I found a job within a few months and moved out of my home state of Maryland to North Carolina.

I am unemployed again in a job market high on people but low on jobs. Even in my chosen field, I may not find a job easily, let alone find one in another field. It is a totally different time to be unemployed. People are going through savings, 401k funds, employment benefits; even with extensions. This is most distressing. Am I looking for work, I have to at least try just to keep my unemployment benefits coming in. There are jobs, but they require skills I do not have or more education then I have. The fast food places aren't even hiring because they have an abundance of people waiting for even their jobs.

Being unemployed is not fun, it is not pleasant. It is stressful, humbling and scary.

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