Many find upside to being tossed from job
It’s hard to see a silver lining when you’re out of work.
But some unemployed workers believe getting a pink slip was a blessing in disguise, according to a survey by SnagAJob.com, which focuses on hourly jobs.
Of 584 workers who have been laid off since December 2007, 4 in 10 saw the positive in getting the ax. Another 26 percent who do not see their layoff as a blessing expect it will become one.
“Once they got over the initial shock, they were able to refocus on themselves, spend more time with their families, their hobbies, their volunteer work,” said Cathy McCarthy, a senior vice president and marketing director at SnagAJob.com, who was initially surprised at the optimism of the unemployed workers.
My sister-in-law found a bright spot in her unemployment. A designer in Los Angeles, she has been laid off for a few months, but she’s looking at the setback as an opportunity get out of a career she felt stuck in and pursue her passion. So far, she has started a design blog, started a jewelry business and is looking to go back to school for metalworking skills.
The survey found similar pursuits by out-of-work employees, who either have found jobs that are better (27 percent); gone back to school (21 percent); or pursed a career they had wanted, such as starting a business (16 percent).
Moreover, 49 percent of laid-off workers are reconnecting with their families and friends, while 36 percent are pursuing personal interests or hobbies. Another 16 percent are volunteering.
Besides finding opportunities for change, workers also reported positive changes within their lives, including learning how to get by with less (62 percent); spending more quality family time (38 percent); and developing goals as a family (36 percent).
Some workers, especially those in their 20s and early 30s, have turned unemployment into “funemployment.”
According to the Urban Dictionary, funemployment is “the condition of a person who takes advantage of being out of a job to have the time of their life.”