Involuntary unemployed... what a pleasant way of saying "I got laid off."
After the tumultuous half-decade that the US job market has seen, and the more-than-tumultuous few years that my company struggled through over the past three years, word finally came down from corporate that myself (along with nearly half of my colleagues nationally) would be out of work in less than a months time.
The news brought a strange and unexpected mix of emotions to me. On one hand, I was certainly sad to be told 'my services would no longer be needed' by company to which I had dedicated professionally for nearly 5-years. On the other hand, I felt a strange sense of relief. With as much as I loved my company, I had--for longer than I care to to admit--been feeling over-stressed and under-compensated with my work, and all around dissatisfied with my career development. What had long ago begun as a low murmur of doubt "maybe this isn't the right career path for me?" had been growing steadily to the point where the message was clear and unavoidable: "it was a good run, but it's time to get out... NOW!"
If you're asking "then why the mixed emotion?" then I think it's safe to assume that you've never been laid off. Regardless of the situation, it's never easy to be told "We're through."
So as I said, there was some good, and there was some bad.
Beyond getting a firm shove in a direction I probably needed to go anyway, I was able to take advantage of a few opportunities that most people in a similar situation wouldn't have had. My company needed an experienced employee in their Washington DC store for a few months. Their need and my availability aligned and I was able to extend my employment (or should I say, 'delay my unemployment'?) for a few months while I spend some time on the East coast consulting from their DC office. A three month delay on fun-employment doesn't take all of the sting off getting laid off, but it did create an opportunity for me to thoughtfully pad my piggy bank a little before the checks stopped coming. Equally important it gave me the opportunity to very honestly and very thoroughly consider an important concept that oft goes unconsidered in the land of gainful employment: "am I on the right career path?"
With unemployment officially at my door, I'm not desperately banging on the door of every business in site begging for "a job--any job will do--please! please!" Instead I'm taking a road trip. Lauren and I don't know exactly where the next two months will take us, but we're certain that we'll have fun, see some beautiful places, meet some interesting people, and if we're lucky, maybe even come back with a more clear idea of in which direction my next step should be.
Thanks for joining our journey online!
-Dan
PS if you're on Instagram, find me posting there as well @meohilazwa, or just search #tripamerica
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