It's funny how admitting that I'm willfully unemployed feels shameful. I mean, what could I possibly be thinking, quitting my job when some/many people have been unwillingly terminated in recent months?
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not yet released July numbers, the last reported unemployment rate for the U.S. was 9.5%. Of course (seasonally adjusted), it takes more time and patience than what I have available to understand how the BLS calculates this number, so for right now, I'll take this at face value. More locally, VA's unemployment figure as of June was 7% (seasonally adjusted). About 11 states have lower unemployment rates, including North Dakota, New Hampshire and Hawaii. (Let's see, out of those, HI would be an attractive option.) Narrowing the geographic focus even further, however, I find that the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area ranks numero uno among Large Metropolitan Areas, with an unemployment rate of 6.4% (not seasonally adjusted).
Overall, relative to the country at large, I'm more optimistic here than I would be if I were in Michigan, and I'm sure this makes me feel more secure. Also, this would be an option for me at all if it weren't for the encouragement and support of my wonderful husband, who knew I need to get out of an impossible situation at my last place of employment. Oh yes, and least I forget, our savings account, although it's not limitless.
Of course, this wasn't exactly how I'd hoped it would turn out. I did look for other employment after I gave a lengthy two-and-a-half month notice to my employer. I put together a good resume, I looked at job postings, and I applied to at least 10 positions. However, looking for a job is at the very least the equivalent of a part-time job, and I didn't have much of a successful track record carving out time for lunch, let alone a thoughtful job search. So, the best choice for me was to give my employer notice and to focus on leaving that job in the best shape possible. In hindsight, I'm still very proud of this decision.
So, here at Day One, I'm optimistic. With the help of my husband, I've been able to talk through my strengths and weaknesses. He's helped me to see myself as a smart, capable, caring, and dedicated person that the right employer would be happy to have on their team. He just called and told me not to get discouraged, and then added, "don't be too encouraged, either." Good advice. I'm not expecting a job to fall out of the sky and onto an offer letter. Today, I'm going to put together a spreadsheet with the names of all the executive recruiters I've contacted, those I haven't, all the jobs I've applied for and a list of people that have offered me their assistance during the past few weeks.
And, yes, I'm going to take a lunch break.
