The Enlightened Unemployed
By Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca 
There is a new breed of unemployed Canadians. As life and work become more and more complicated—demanding careers, hectic commutes, stressful schedules—it’s not surprising that people who have been laid-off from work are increasingly looking at their temporary unemployed status as a welcome interruption – an enjoyable one, in fact, and in large part, an overdue wake-up call.
Of course, not many have an immediate epiphany; most are caught up in the anguish of losing their livelihood. However, in time, out of the devastation of a lay-off often comes a healthier, happier, and more whole person: the enlightened unemployed.
A recent survey of 16,000 Canadians, conducted by Right Management, discovered that despite a much more upbeat job market in 2005, laid-off employees took the same amount of time to re-enter the job market as they did in 2004. That is, while the job opportunities were abundant, those laid-off chose not to jump right back into work again.
After getting over the shock of losing their jobs, the enlightened unemployed take time for themselves and their lives – especially the aspects of their lives they have neglected. They take stock and replenish, spending time with their families and abandoned hobbies, and reacquainting themselves with their value system. They carefully examine opportunities and make thoughtful and deliberate choices. There’s no rushing into another job just because it’s there. They don’t want to make the same mistakes again.
Often, they take a couple of months to determine their job search options. They completely re-evaluate not only their career of choice, but also their entire field. Some may go back to school or change industries entirely.
But how do they do it financially? Some receive generous buyouts and severances. Others rely temporarily on EI and their savings. Still others re-mortgage their houses, take out loans, or lines of credit in order to make ends meet during this important time of reflection.
The realization is this: reassessing their lives and their careers is not time wasted; it is very productive.
When they do eventually find a job, it will be one that accommodates more work-life balance and matches their new career goals, which could mean a different career or a new field entirely. Not uncommonly, people also start up their own businesses during this time.
Sonia Wilson and Karin Jahnke-Haslam, two very different women at different stages of their lives, found themselves in a very similar situation – unemployed, but enlightened. Here, they share their experiences, lessons learned, and how being laid-off changed their lives.
Next Page: Sonia Wilson: A Better Fit
Sonia Wilson: A Better Fit
Sonia Wilson was shocked when she was laid off from her job as a bilingual editor at an international employment agency, as she thought there were no obvious signs of trouble. She had just attended a lavish company Christmas party, was meeting her weekly quota, and thought the position was relatively safe. She says that it took her about a month to come to terms with what had happened. While she felt hurt she was let go, she was also a bit relieved, as the job hadn’t been what she hoped and she wasn’t enjoying herself.
The months following her lay-off, Sonia spent time with her family, networked as much as she could, and travelled a bit (much-needed, considering her former employer offered no vacation time the first year of service). She made a conscious decision to not jump right back into a job; she had made this mistake before – rushing to accept a position just because she didn’t want to be out of work. The last couple of jobs she held had been with prestigious companies, but all had placed her in an office setting, behind a computer and a stack of paperwork.
“I realized I couldn’t work in a position where I wasn’t dealing with people regularly, and that I needed to find something more stimulating in my day-to-day activities,” she says. “It wasn’t that my values changed… I’m just trying now to bring myself back to a place where I can respect them again.”
Sonia wanted a job that more closely reflected her values. Her next job must balance time between office and field-work, deal with people in a social setting, and offer opportunities for travel – qualities much different from her previous positions.
She didn’t start actively looking for employment until a couple months in. This is the pattern with newly unemployed people. It seems that not many wake up the morning after being laid-off and start scouring the Internet for job openings. The breathing time between jobs has increased.
It’s now been just over three months since she became one of the many enlightened unemployed, and she’s already stepping out in a new career direction, much more her style – event planning. She’s currently on a one-month contract for an event management company – a perfect opportunity for her to test new waters before she takes the plunge. Sonia is a testament to the powers of networking. She was offered this job through a friend, who knew she was looking to make a change. Never underestimate the power of keeping your address book up-to-date.
What has she learned? “I realized that I have certain strengths and that the jobs I had weren’t allowing me to apply those skills. My career didn’t reflect who I was or what I was especially adept at.”
Sonia’s biggest challenge (beyond finding a career that fits) is staying on that journey. “I’m trying out the event-planning now, but if it doesn’t feel right, I don’t want to linger in a position that doesn’t suit me. That’s the hard part. You start working, earning money, getting to know a group of people, and feeling comfortable… it’s difficult to say – no, this isn’t right for me, give it up, and start over again.” But Sonia knows that it’s time for her to find a career that fits her excellent people skills, sense of adventure, and keen eye for visual details.
Next Page: Karin Jahnke-Haslam: In Search of Fulfillment
Karin Jahnke-Haslam: In Search of Fulfillment
Karin Jahnke-Haslam was a senior executive in banking. She was let go after twenty-five years in the industry, as politics and power struggles in the company she worked for resulted in an almost wholesale turnover of the executive group.
Karin was given a good 12-month exit package, which allowed for a generous allotment of time to adjust, and her plans were to take three months off before starting her job search. She redecorated, gardened, kayaked, sailed, traveled, and ramped up her volunteer commitment, becoming involved in a number of major events and projects.
Three months quickly turned into eight months, and financial realities were setting in, so she began her job search. She was confident she’d find a new job fairly quickly given her impressive skill set, experience, and connections. However, she had no intention of returning to banking. “I wanted something different,” she explains. “I was looking for something with more autonomy, more creativity… something more fulfilling. I wanted to make an impact. However, crossing over to another job field was very risky and very difficult.”
Karin identified the most important qualities she was looking for in her next job. Writing down your must-haves in a job is an excellent way to focus your energy on attaining those goals and ensuring that you hold each job offer up against these priorities - priorities that can be so easily overshadowed by a handsome salary.
Karin’s were as follows:
- Have relative autonomy.
- Do creative and fulfilling work.
- Be busy but not stressful.
- Be close to home.
- Have reasonable hours.
- Be in a good working environment.
A dedicated volunteer and board member for both local and regional organizations, Karin stayed connected to the business community throughout her job search, and being “in the loop” paid off: she was offered a job by someone who knew of her skills and reputation in the community.
While the new job in cultural tourism was only a two-year contract, it fit all her career goals, not to mention her two-minute commute (she lived next door!). She used her past experience to help a newly formed cultural organization get started through strategic planning, business, and promotional programs. “It was very fulfilling,” she says of the job.
After the contract expired, Karin began yet another job search, and this time it was 15 months before finding another position.
“This time the search was even more difficult,” she admits. “I knew what I wanted… Again, I made a conscious decision not to pursue any career in banking. I could have been working immediately but did not want to return to something old, familiar, uninspiring, unfulfilling, and extremely stressful. There were lots of opportunities, but I was determined to find something local, less demanding, yet creative.
“[Since leaving the banking industry,] I realized that I had been so wound up in my [banking] job that I truly didn’t understand that my life had become so unbalanced. I was living to work and had no breathing time to reflect, to enjoy. I had become my job and I thought my identity was related to my job. It took me a while to come to the realization that my job did not define me. Having said that though, I know that others continue to define me by my job and the status around it.
“It sounds cliché, but my ultimate goal is to balance my life. It seems simple enough; however, it’s not easy to step back. When you are used to a high-profile job in a fast-paced, corporate setting with a lot of responsibility and authority, it is simply hard to let go.
“Balancing my life has meant giving up corporate perks, a high salary, great benefits, and status. But those losses have meant gains in areas of quiet fulfillment, less stress, and more control over my life. I can leave at the end of every day feeling good about my job and feeling excited about the future, which I now control.” Like Sophie, Karin says that during her time off, her values didn’t change, rather “they only became clearer and better defined.”
Karin just recently began her new job, managing a beautiful art gallery situated on a stunning property overlooking the Niagara River. “There’s a lot to do but it’s where I want to be, not out of default, but out of choice,” she says. Once again, Karin’s networking skills landed her the job; it was never posted. The position came to her. “That alone was very satisfying and significant.”
Next page: Advice for the Newly Unemployed
Advice for the Newly Unemployed
If you’re unemployed, but not enlightened, take heed. Karin shares her important lessons learned:
1. Stay positive. A good outlook on life is so important. We create our own opportunities by how we are viewed. It’s important to stay energized by doing the best you can in whatever you are doing during your search.
2. Stay connected. Volunteer with community groups in a field that interests you. I have a strong need to be productive, to be engaged, to be a positive influence and make things happen, so putting that energy into volunteer work worked well. Make yourself be useful, stay relevant, and feel like you’re making a contribution.
3. Have a support system. It’s not always easy to stay positive after you have received your tenth rejection letter. Surround yourself with positive people. We all need friends who confirm our worth and become our cheerleaders. Positive energy breeds more positive energy. I have great friends and family who never, ever made me self-conscious of being out of work but rather their constant cheerleading kept me energized.
4. Be patient. The job search took much longer than I expected. I felt discouraged at times because I underestimated the amount of competition out there.
5. Be realistic. I was not realistic in acknowledging that age does matter. I suspect that potential employers could quickly figure out that I was in the over 50 category. I also believe that my application was flagged because my last position was very senior and they just assumed that I would not take a lesser position and stay content.
6. Embrace Yourself. I have become truly comfortable in my own skin and know who I am. I am not defined by my title or job, which is easy to write but not always easy to embrace. Take the time to figure out what really makes you happy. I realized that I don’t need a lot to make me happy. It’s the little things that thrill.