For as long as I live I will always remember September 25th, 2008. I left my apartment on time that morning, and was excited to finally be getting used to the 9-6 workday. The doors to our office were always locked; since we managed a private equity real estate fund, there was rarely a need to bring clients in. I should have known when my key card did not work that something was going on. I even said to the person that opened the door, "what a horrible way of telling somebody they're laid off."
Around 2:30 I tried to get a hold of my boss to discuss my research in public / private partnerships, mass transit investment, and rail related auxiliary businesses. I had been well aware that the traditional commercial real estate industry was turning, and I believed that out-of-the-box thinking today would elevate a newly successful group of people when the market came back. The reply to my email included the lines, "come to the office at 3 to discuss another matter." My fears became a reality when my boss led me into the elevator to, "talk about it upstairs." By 4pm, I was out of the office, pink slip in hand.
When I was first let go, I had a lot of support. My former boss reached out to me and made a few phone calls, I had a few interviews, and even turned away from a decent opportunity because I did not think the pay was fair. I figured my month of severance would give me time to chill out for a little while, regroup, and reposition myself in the market. Throughout the fall, as the stock market and financial industry collapsed, I realized that the niche industry I had structured the last two years of my life for was gone. My "connections" were in survival mode for their own jobs, and without a vast network of professionals across all industries, my entry-level application was becoming lost in cyberspace.
Around February I would say I made the transition from just "unemployed" to "super unemployed." When you are "super unemployed," potential employers see how long you haven't had a job for and start to wonder what is wrong with you. I never thought to count how many times I've filed for my weekly unemployment check, but I've learned to fear the day that I get a letter saying, "you have expended all of your unemployment compensation benefits and extended unemployment compensation benefits." I realized I was a member of the "super unemployed" when I came to the decision that I would take a steady position that paid half the salary of my former job. When I went through my "snagajob" phase, I soon discovered that employers like McDonalds, Target, Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, and Toys R' Us, did not even consider applicants with a Bachelors degree from Emory University. I was told so many times that I was "over qualified" and "would leave once a better opportunity emerged" that I started replying with, "if you see me on the side of the road someday, you better put a dollar in my cup." At this point I've been unemployed for 8 months; how many months do employers expect to keep a minimum wage worker on staff?
You know you are a member of the "super unemployed" when you stop going to career fairs. I went to 4 or 5 before I became discouraged and stopped looking out for them. After 4 or 5 career fairs I had recieved no interviews and racked up about $30 in parking fees. There is nothing more frustrating than going to a career fair and having a representative tell you to apply online. To me this is a mockery of the unemployed and the value of our time.
About 2 months ago I tried to start an online based business with 3 other people. There was an Angel Investor program looking to fund 8 - 10 start-ups over the summer, so I took the lead in drafting a preliminary business plan. Our team got a final round interview but we were not selected. Realizing the potential of our idea and the opportunity of 4 unemployed people pooling their efforts, I was willing to work on the business full time over the summer. This is where I learned the final characteristic of what it really means to be "super unemployed." My teamates had alternatives; they had a backup place to live, another possible option, or alternative source of income. They were willing to work on the project, but only part-time. For me, having food to eat and a place to sleep was enough of a motivator to keep me working 80 hours a week if necessary. When starting a business, you go hard or go home; this business wasn't going to work out.
So my mission here is to bring to light the emerging group of people I would like to classify as "super unemployed." I would never wish upon anybody to "walk a mile in our shoes" or "spend a day sitting on our couch," but I hope that people can appreciate the strength of those who have waken up every day for months asking themselves, "what is my life's business plan?" I can't wait to answer that question; I will be the best employee for the lucky company that gives me a chance.
Around 2:30 I tried to get a hold of my boss to discuss my research in public / private partnerships, mass transit investment, and rail related auxiliary businesses. I had been well aware that the traditional commercial real estate industry was turning, and I believed that out-of-the-box thinking today would elevate a newly successful group of people when the market came back. The reply to my email included the lines, "come to the office at 3 to discuss another matter." My fears became a reality when my boss led me into the elevator to, "talk about it upstairs." By 4pm, I was out of the office, pink slip in hand.
When I was first let go, I had a lot of support. My former boss reached out to me and made a few phone calls, I had a few interviews, and even turned away from a decent opportunity because I did not think the pay was fair. I figured my month of severance would give me time to chill out for a little while, regroup, and reposition myself in the market. Throughout the fall, as the stock market and financial industry collapsed, I realized that the niche industry I had structured the last two years of my life for was gone. My "connections" were in survival mode for their own jobs, and without a vast network of professionals across all industries, my entry-level application was becoming lost in cyberspace.
Around February I would say I made the transition from just "unemployed" to "super unemployed." When you are "super unemployed," potential employers see how long you haven't had a job for and start to wonder what is wrong with you. I never thought to count how many times I've filed for my weekly unemployment check, but I've learned to fear the day that I get a letter saying, "you have expended all of your unemployment compensation benefits and extended unemployment compensation benefits." I realized I was a member of the "super unemployed" when I came to the decision that I would take a steady position that paid half the salary of my former job. When I went through my "snagajob" phase, I soon discovered that employers like McDonalds, Target, Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, and Toys R' Us, did not even consider applicants with a Bachelors degree from Emory University. I was told so many times that I was "over qualified" and "would leave once a better opportunity emerged" that I started replying with, "if you see me on the side of the road someday, you better put a dollar in my cup." At this point I've been unemployed for 8 months; how many months do employers expect to keep a minimum wage worker on staff?
You know you are a member of the "super unemployed" when you stop going to career fairs. I went to 4 or 5 before I became discouraged and stopped looking out for them. After 4 or 5 career fairs I had recieved no interviews and racked up about $30 in parking fees. There is nothing more frustrating than going to a career fair and having a representative tell you to apply online. To me this is a mockery of the unemployed and the value of our time.
About 2 months ago I tried to start an online based business with 3 other people. There was an Angel Investor program looking to fund 8 - 10 start-ups over the summer, so I took the lead in drafting a preliminary business plan. Our team got a final round interview but we were not selected. Realizing the potential of our idea and the opportunity of 4 unemployed people pooling their efforts, I was willing to work on the business full time over the summer. This is where I learned the final characteristic of what it really means to be "super unemployed." My teamates had alternatives; they had a backup place to live, another possible option, or alternative source of income. They were willing to work on the project, but only part-time. For me, having food to eat and a place to sleep was enough of a motivator to keep me working 80 hours a week if necessary. When starting a business, you go hard or go home; this business wasn't going to work out.
So my mission here is to bring to light the emerging group of people I would like to classify as "super unemployed." I would never wish upon anybody to "walk a mile in our shoes" or "spend a day sitting on our couch," but I hope that people can appreciate the strength of those who have waken up every day for months asking themselves, "what is my life's business plan?" I can't wait to answer that question; I will be the best employee for the lucky company that gives me a chance.
1 comment:
thank you for everything, george bush.
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