How to Survive Unemployment

Here’s a post I’ve been waiting to write for a long time. I was offered and accepted a position with the City Treasurer’s office as an Assistant Treasurer and I start on October 25th. That’s about 16 months unemployed. I believe I survived fairly well and I’d like to give you a few tips in case you’re ever in that situation.


1. Get yourself the second-best spouse you can find. You won’t be able to find the best because I married her. She has been a constant source of support and inspiration without being pushy or a bully. She’s been nervous at times, but we were always able to see our way through any rough patch together. She has been a great sounding board and listened as I talked about my job search. Work together and you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.

2. Before you lose your job, save as much money as you can. Every spare nickel and dime should be put into a ‘contingency fund’ so when the contingency strikes, you’re ready for it financially. Every raise, bonus, refund, rebate, dollars found on the street should be put in the fund. The old adage about saving six months worth of expenses is outdated; get a year’s supply of expenses on hand. And don’t forget to file for unemployment benefits as soon as you’re eligible. The more financially sound you are, the better the experience will be for you.

3. Network, network, network. Talk to everybody you know and ask them how they are doing and what’s new in their business, and do they know anybody else you can talk to. And oh, yeah, ask them if their company is hiring. If nothing else, it gets you away from your computer for a while and speaking to a real human being. I’m a terrible networker, never joining clubs or associations, but I have built up a number of colleagues that I talk to on a semi-regular basis. You never know where a lead or an insight might take you.

4. Enlist the services of an executive counselor. Not an employment agency, but a fee-based counselor. They are up-to-date with the latest hiring practices and will tailor your resume, cover letter and yourself to think in terms that employers want to hear. They build up your confidence in your abilities and interviewing skills. The gal I signed up with is worth every penny.

5. Get a part-time job that has some fun in it. As most of you know, I usher at both the Eagles and Phillies, and found these jobs to a release of tension rather than a source of it. If you can find something like that, without it distracting you from your real goal, it’s a real blessing.

6. And speaking of blessings, prayer helps too. They say that God answers all our prayers; I’ll let you decide that for yourself. But what prayer does is focus our own efforts on what we think is most important to us until we achieve them. Sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

7. Stay positive and stay focused. I can imagine it gets easy to lose your way when you are sending out dozens of resumes and getting no response. When I first started looking I knew that any job I saw on a job board was also being viewed by thousands of other people, so the chances of my resume hitting the top of the pile were low. When you start with low expectations, it not easy to get disappointed or demoralized. See item #3 for a better method of searching for a job.

8. Define yourself by who you are and not by what you do. When someone asked me what I do for a living, I used to say “Banker and accountant.” Over the years, that has changed. I no longer define myself in those terms. Now when they ask me I tell them, “Husband, father, baseball fan.” Which phrase do you think will be on my gravestone? So find out who you really are and remain that person. You can always change jobs, but you can’t change who you really are.

This post certainly is long-winded. I guess when you’re out of work for 16 months a lot of thoughts come to mind. If you’re in this situation, good luck on your job hunt. Give me a call and we can hit someplace for lunch or for a drink.

I’m sure that those within the sound of my voice know that the Phillies have advanced to the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants. They begin play on Saturday and I’m sure the ballpark will be rockin’. Then on Sunday there’s a day-night doubleheader: Eagles at 1 PM and Phillies at 8 PM. The Eagles will be getting over just about the time I have to report to the Phillies across the street. Wish me luck. Don’t call on Monday; I’ll be sacked in.  GO PHILS!!!