Goodbye Unemployment, Hello Hate Mail
I got a job! Please don’t hate me. After four months of searching for work, I will be kissing my unemploymentality goodbye. Or at least scaling it back significantly. And despite the guilt I feel when sharing this news with my unemployed friends (which is pretty much all of them), I am really happy about it. I didn’t just find a job – I found one I’m excited about; one I would have sought even in the best of economies. Yay!
But of course, with this shift in employment status comes a shift in psyche. That’s not to say I won’t carry with me the lessons I have learned. Some things, like being really really cheap, will probably stay with me forever. Others, I will gladly leave behind. Here are ten things I won’t miss about my unemployment:
- Myself. Don’t get me wrong – I like myself. I just don’t need to spend quite so much time alone with me.
- That Hungry Man meal I forced myself to eat, that one time, just to
Not one of my better unemployment ideas
see if I could stomach it. I couldn’t.
- “The Unemploymentality 10” – that is, the 10 pounds one gains in the first month of unemployment, due to excessive amounts of alcohol and comfort food.
- My parents’ ten phone calls a day, asking me if there are any updates on the “job hunting” front. As if I’d get a job and just forget to tell them.
- Hating anyone younger and more successful… oh who am I kidding, I’ll still hate those people!
- Waking up before 8 am even though I have nowhere to go and nothing to do.
- Trying to explain to new people I meet (without seeming defensive) that although I don’t have a job right now, I did have one at one point, and not that long ago. Really! I am not perpetually unemployed.
- Crying at the dentist’s office because my teeth have decided to act out and I no longer have insurance. Crying in general.
- The pity pay. You know, like when people insist on paying for lunch because you don’t have a job. Pity in general.
- John’s iron fist. John in general.
John,
Congratulations. I met you at LaidOffCamp. You “interviewed” me on my way out.
I am glad to hear that you are back in the earning world again. What kind of field will you be in?
Best of luck,
-Eric
Hi Eric,
No…i’m still unemployed and proud! It’s actually Tania, the blog’s better half, that will be starting a new job on monday. And i’m happy for her…at least until she says something to me like, “God John! Get a job already!”
Could this mark a turning point for our economy??
That means there’s hope for the rest of us!
Congrats!
I am both saddened by this and happy for you. I’m going to miss your snarky posts. BUT, four months of unemployment is a serious stretch. You’ve done your time… and like the lady before me, I think this gives the rest of us hope. Lots of luck to you!
Congratulations. As much fun as all this is, the goal is to get back in the work force which you have accomplished. By the way, #7 is hilarious… because it’s true.
-Garrett
405er
http://www.the405club.com: $405/week isn’t so bad in NY, right?
Congrats Tania!! Welcome back
Congrats, Tania. I’ll miss your posts. Please, don’t help John find a job at your new place of employment. I’d hate for this blog to shutdown. Yes, John. I’m a self serving old broad.
MJ
Thanks everyone! And don’t worry Elena – I’m still gonna write for the blog, just not as often. It’ll take a lot more than re-entry into the workforce to silence me.
Congratulations, Tania. I’m happy for you. Good luck with the new job.
Hi Tania – I’m glad that your cell phone finally rang with the call you wanted. Perhaps you should post another photo of yourself being really happy to replace the one of you looking particularly forlorn. Besides it’ll bug John.
Congrats, Tania! What kind of job is it? Did blogging help you with the process?
Good luck!
You were so excited, you forgot to tell what excites you about the new job. Congrats anyhow.
Congratualtions! I just started reading your blog and have enjoyed it. How about doing a split personality site now, like Employmentality vs Unemploymentality, or something of the sort.
Rich
Congratulations Tania!! One unemployed person got a job, a whole lot more of us to go!!!
congrats
Congratulation Tania. It’s good to see one of us is able to go back to “the world”. Maybe there really is hope for the rest of us out here…
Congrats Tania! No hate mail here… I don’t begrudge you one bit. In fact, your announcement has lifted my spirits and gives me hope!
per your suggestion, the hate/bitter mail:
the guilt you feel about informing your unemployed friends that you have a job should now be exponentially larger: you have also informed lots of unemployed strangers on an unemployed blog about your news. super. can’t wait for your new blog entries.
and thanks for the top ten list. it’s a nice reminder of how much better your life is now in comparison to the rest of us. good parting shot.
Hey Tania,
We can now start our work time chat sessions again, though this time I won’t be looking at your giggling
Welcome to the workforce, trust me you’ll miss being able to do your laundry at 11am on a Tuesday, but I’m so happy for you!!
best of luck
XOXO
Congratulations Tania! Sorry, just seen this post. I’m so pleased for you. What is your new job? x
Congratulations! As someone who’s crossed over to the other side, I can say it’s a true accomplishment right now. Keep writing and helping the jobless keep their chins up!
If I can be of any assistance, I would be glad to point anyone in search of employment to http://www.freegovtjobs.com. The site provides access to vacant government jobs across the nation.