I was laid-off from a start-up as it cashed in its chips in 2018, and even in that we-built-it-and-they-didn't-come framework my ego took foreverrrr to recover. ("But I've always been hyper-necessary !!" it kept repeating every time I looked in the mirror.) Anyway. To deal with the social awkwardness (yes, much worse in those years, generally speaking), someone told me to say I had been, "promoted to customer." Still makes me chuckle.
Not to grab the wheel and take a sharp right turn, buuuuut ... When I was first trained to write resumes, one of our strategies for a "job hopper" was to remove the months they were at a job (and keep only the years) so it didn't look quite so "hoppy." Why? Because it was understood that consistent employment is one of the first and easiest things to scan for in resume formatting—and that HR routinely rejects applicants based on that alone. (Obviously, this is the woooooorst.)
Once I shifted away from professional resume writing (I only lasted 9 months ... oops), I slowly began to update my Theology of Hiring and now if I'm offering career/life perspectives, I strongly encourage anyone to own what and where and why they worked and why they chose not to stay. Because this tells you so much about the PERSON, not just the work!! And besides, I don't want any business where HR discards you for shifts in employment to get the good talent.
Anyways, I do think you're right, though, that COVID kind of loosened the judgment around gaps in employment. So maybe there's hope. It just seems like HR is the least aware of human dynamics of all the business resources...
Also I am going to be using my crystal ball and observational powers to start anticipating the change in focus around your writing. 🫶
Amanda, I like what you’re saying about how to speak to gaps. Having voluntarily left my last job I get a lot of quizzical looks. I’ve also used the term “taking a leave of absence” or “sabbatical” but it’s more than that. I’m shifting my lifestyle to have work be something that I find purpose though AND enables me to live a holistic existence. And oh yeah, pay the bills.
The best way to embrace how to talk about this stuff is just to practice. I did this last week at Pickleball and it was met with a “congratulations” and not a “Aren’t you worried about being out of work in a recession? What about supporting your family?” I’m still struck by how that simple word made me feel like a million bucks. It takes a lot of courage to leave a “comfortable” life for something uncertain. We need more cheerleaders
I've written about this topic in Earworms and Song Loops. Probably more than once. Here's one piece that talks about my career/lifestyle switch at age 54.
In early 2020 I was ready to leave my job of 11 years and likely the career I'd been working for 30, and then the pandemic hit and suddenly 80 percent of my job stress went away. I could work from home (I was a video editor) and not have to deal with several humans that I couldn't stand (at least in the flesh). That was really just a delay of the inevitable. When severe carpal tunnel hit, I ended up working out a sweet deal where I could leave and still get unemployment (the workload dropped considerably so it was a win-win). I took a year to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up and decided, I want to be a dog walker. And so that's what I am now.
It requires a lot of fortitude to explain this to my career-minded friends and acquaintances. Several people have said to me: "So you're retired then?" Maybe as a critique disguised as a joke, but at my age I no longer give a crap what anyone else thinks about the decisions I make. Except my wife of course. And she sees how much happier I am now so is more able to handle the reduced income I bring in (couple's counseling helps too!).
Telling people I'm a stay at home mom feels a huge amount like telling people I'm unemployed, though when I worked 2 jobs I felt so much less tired.
And yes my small talk game is at an all time low. People used to call me charming and easy to talk to, seems like a lifetime away. Nowadays no conversation is further than two segues away from talking about different types of baby poop.
Really enjoyed this interview - I never thought of him but he's so relatable. Hard to believe that a famous actor would describe himself as a freelancer.
Are you still considered unemployed if you just have enough money to have long periods of no work?
Just what I needed. Tony Hale and Jen Zug to the rescue. Also it’s a great Liz Lemon gif’
I was laid-off from a start-up as it cashed in its chips in 2018, and even in that we-built-it-and-they-didn't-come framework my ego took foreverrrr to recover. ("But I've always been hyper-necessary !!" it kept repeating every time I looked in the mirror.) Anyway. To deal with the social awkwardness (yes, much worse in those years, generally speaking), someone told me to say I had been, "promoted to customer." Still makes me chuckle.
HA! I love that!
The “promoted to customer” is what I love - not that you got laid off! 😂
haha - all good ~~ I read it that way!
Thanks for another excellent read. Off to check out the Palumbo book.
In between stage: parents dying. Worst in between for me ever.
Not to grab the wheel and take a sharp right turn, buuuuut ... When I was first trained to write resumes, one of our strategies for a "job hopper" was to remove the months they were at a job (and keep only the years) so it didn't look quite so "hoppy." Why? Because it was understood that consistent employment is one of the first and easiest things to scan for in resume formatting—and that HR routinely rejects applicants based on that alone. (Obviously, this is the woooooorst.)
Once I shifted away from professional resume writing (I only lasted 9 months ... oops), I slowly began to update my Theology of Hiring and now if I'm offering career/life perspectives, I strongly encourage anyone to own what and where and why they worked and why they chose not to stay. Because this tells you so much about the PERSON, not just the work!! And besides, I don't want any business where HR discards you for shifts in employment to get the good talent.
Anyways, I do think you're right, though, that COVID kind of loosened the judgment around gaps in employment. So maybe there's hope. It just seems like HR is the least aware of human dynamics of all the business resources...
Also I am going to be using my crystal ball and observational powers to start anticipating the change in focus around your writing. 🫶
Amanda, I like what you’re saying about how to speak to gaps. Having voluntarily left my last job I get a lot of quizzical looks. I’ve also used the term “taking a leave of absence” or “sabbatical” but it’s more than that. I’m shifting my lifestyle to have work be something that I find purpose though AND enables me to live a holistic existence. And oh yeah, pay the bills.
The best way to embrace how to talk about this stuff is just to practice. I did this last week at Pickleball and it was met with a “congratulations” and not a “Aren’t you worried about being out of work in a recession? What about supporting your family?” I’m still struck by how that simple word made me feel like a million bucks. It takes a lot of courage to leave a “comfortable” life for something uncertain. We need more cheerleaders
Hi Jen, I found you through the collaborators thread and I loved your About section 😊
Thank you!
I've written about this topic in Earworms and Song Loops. Probably more than once. Here's one piece that talks about my career/lifestyle switch at age 54.
https://earworm.substack.com/p/who-let-the-dogs-out
In early 2020 I was ready to leave my job of 11 years and likely the career I'd been working for 30, and then the pandemic hit and suddenly 80 percent of my job stress went away. I could work from home (I was a video editor) and not have to deal with several humans that I couldn't stand (at least in the flesh). That was really just a delay of the inevitable. When severe carpal tunnel hit, I ended up working out a sweet deal where I could leave and still get unemployment (the workload dropped considerably so it was a win-win). I took a year to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up and decided, I want to be a dog walker. And so that's what I am now.
It requires a lot of fortitude to explain this to my career-minded friends and acquaintances. Several people have said to me: "So you're retired then?" Maybe as a critique disguised as a joke, but at my age I no longer give a crap what anyone else thinks about the decisions I make. Except my wife of course. And she sees how much happier I am now so is more able to handle the reduced income I bring in (couple's counseling helps too!).
This is so great! I’ll definitely check out that post.
Just grabbed a copy of Writing from the Inside Out--thank you! Hoping to find my voice again!
Telling people I'm a stay at home mom feels a huge amount like telling people I'm unemployed, though when I worked 2 jobs I felt so much less tired.
And yes my small talk game is at an all time low. People used to call me charming and easy to talk to, seems like a lifetime away. Nowadays no conversation is further than two segues away from talking about different types of baby poop.
Really enjoyed this interview - I never thought of him but he's so relatable. Hard to believe that a famous actor would describe himself as a freelancer.
Are you still considered unemployed if you just have enough money to have long periods of no work?