The Pregnant and The Unemployed
To set things straight, my wife is the pregnant one in this story, and I am the unemployed. Our baby boy is supposed to come any day now, but it could also be a week until it happens. My wife took the week off from work, so she can rest during the day and mentally prepare for the labor and delivery. I did not have to take any time off, because I was already at home, watching the horizon for jobs. While seen from outside, these may be tough and trying times for us, it is actually the reverse. We have realized, with surprise in our voices as we were saying it, that in more than 13 years of marriage, this has never happened to us: to be together at home, for many days in a row, enjoying each other company, while we’re waiting for our first baby to pop out. These must be really special times, which, by the nature of this situation, could be repeated, but never matched again in our lives. Nothing will be like this, because these moments are unique, through the uniqueness of the feelings attached to every moment. Watching the kicking belly has become our daily avocation. The stress of finding a job is still there, but is now muffled and weak.
My point of this story is the following: yes, being unemployed is a stressful situation by itself, you don’t have to participate into making even more stressful. You are also not alone in this state, as you can probably read the unemployment report. You can do many, many things to take advantage of this time off, which you may not get back until retirement. Use this time wisely. My favorite activities are, in this order: networking with existing friends and making new ones, learning new skills (getting a license, prepare and take an exam), taking some time off (sic!) and think about what would be the perfect use of my professional time. Spending time with friends is very rewarding. Not only you have a chance to bounce ideas off each other, but you have fun doing it as well.
If you are not an MBA, you may think of applying to a business school, because when the economy turns around, the MBA skills will be back in demand, no matter what the naysayers are saying today about the value of the MBA. I don’t know about other schools, but as a graduate of Chicago Booth, I highly value the skills I’ve worked hard to acquire. They are indeed very valuable. I know that, and every Chicago Booth graduate knows that. And that’s enough for me.
If you are an MBA grad, then going back to your school’s career service center to ask for guidance, may be a good idea. They have many resources you can use to think, rethink, strategize, network, and research your next move.
Whatever you do, make sure you are enjoying every moment of it. That’s my advice.
