The unemployment opportunity (and how to get a job you really love)

Ok people, this probably isn't going to shock loads of you out there, but life as we know it is going through what we may call a bit of a hiccup right now. Well, maybe that's underplaying things slightly. Let's call it something a little more like a global correction, mass disruption or total armageddon (you fill in your own choice here depending on how bad you think things are going to get...)

The official line if you're an economist is that we're about to enter the worst global recession for 100 years. I'm not sure if you were around 100 YEARS ago, but that's a hell of a timespan, where a lot of crazy stuff happened! In fact COVID-19, the enemy we can all get behind is on track to make the Great Depression of the 1930s seem like a casual Sunday afternoon walk in the park (please do wear a face mask too if you're actually going to the park everyone)

What's interesting though is that as a collective planet, we're pretty much going into this 'new normal' with our eyes wide open. We're ripping the band-aid off now. No sugar coating whatsoever. We know this is going to be bad and there's going to be mass redundancies in every corner of the globe. Just quite how bad it's going to be is the million-dollar question that we all want to know the answer to!

Some Winners, Some Losers

Some people will be lucky. If you work for or have stock in 'COVID-proof' industries and companies such as Zoom, Netflix, or cloud computing, it's probably time to start thinking about that summer beach house you've always wanted (or at least visiting for a vacation next year...)

However, if you find yourself on the other side of the coin in losing your career in what were once seen as bullet proof industries then your mood may be getting more and more anxious as the days pass and unemployment spikes higher and higher. Everyday activities like air travel, where 30 businesses may depend on the revenue generated by one airline passenger to support their enterprise have disappeared in a puff of smoke or at least reduced to the point where it will take decades to get this industry back on track.

So it may be that we all look back on the 'roaring 2010s as a nostalgic age where things were steady, growth was stagnant but predictable and life was so much simpler...ahh simple times, those halcyon days... (which were actually just a few months ago...)

And if you've recently lost your job or you're actively avoiding all formats of communication in case your boss serves those papers at you, I'm sorry to hear this and of course all the condolences in the world to you.

But do you know what, I'm here with good news because I'd say it's time to look at reframing your way of thinking in terms of what the impact will be on your overall lifestyle and future self. Because have you ever thought that perhaps:

Losing your job x being kicked out of your rut + living through an era when the entire rules of the global employment game are being ripped up could = the best possible opportunity to live the life you actually want to live?

Think about this equation for a minute. Let it sink it in and I guarantee you'll start to come around to why the next few years could be your most exciting ones yet!

The Unemployment Opportunity

Right, let's get the facts straight. You're unemployed, you likely don't want to be unemployed. You may have liked your job, maybe you didn't. But ultimately the reality is that you're now wondering what to do next.

Let's look at what this means and if we can see some rays of light on the horizon...

Pros of unemployment vs Cons of unemployment

Pro - Total Freedom, the chance to sleep in each day. Con - No cash, maybe no bed to sleep in...Pro - Time to embrace minimalism...

Pro - Total Freedom, the chance to catch up with old friends. Con - All my friends are unemployed too and we still have no cash...Pro - Who needs money, we're connecting on a whole new level to each other now.

Pro - Total Freedom, no busy commute, and office politics. Con - No job, having spare cash is just a memory, need to find out how to get a job from somewhere. Pro - Whilst looking for a job, I have more time to follow my own interests, passions, life loves...

Pro - Total Freedom, starting to really like having more headspace, seeing friends, growing self-sufficient, developing my interests, and learning new skills. Con - record unemployment and still no sign of a job on the horizon... Pro - Time to embrace the punk rock DIY ethos and do it ourselves. Time to think about starting my own business, side/main gig, and spending my days turning my passions into a business that will keep me fulfilled for the rest of my life.

Pro - This is pretty cool, I'm in control for once. Con - well, not loads are coming to mind right now...

Enter The Passion Economy

It's human nature to jump straight back on the horse and revert back to the comfort of a steady income and a job that is just 'ok'. But as mentioned earlier, 2020 is a game-changing year for so many reasons. It's black swan events like this which completely change the norms of day to day life. They may shatter the old way of doing things, but they also make way for something new to take its place and whole new ways of living to emerge.

You'll be hearing more from me in the coming weeks and months talking about the ever-growing passion economy and if you're not familiar with this term then it's pretty much exactly how it sounds. In essence, it's all about how you can turn your passions into your 'side hustle' or even your main income stream, working the hours that work for you. Oh yeah - and actually have loads of fun when doing it!

Millions of people are already embracing this way of working and taking back control of their own destiny by hosting podcasts, teaching courses, or helping others up-skill in cookery, surfing, yoga, and music. And as 'jobs for life' quickly erode, this way of working is only going one way. What's not to like?

So before you spend endless hours on Google searching for how to get a job and signing your life away for someone else's dream. Think first that maybe the perfect opportunity could be waiting for you right now and that the passion economy could be your way out of the rat race once and for all.

As Adam Davidson, author of the excellent The Passion Economy: Nine rules for thriving in the twenty-first century says: "Identify the set of things that you love to do and that you do well. You don't need to be the best in the world at something. People often succeed because they have a set of various skills that don't normally go together"

Life is short and it's time to start thinking about how to 'turn your one day, into day one'. Whatever you're good at, there'll be someone out there who'll be ready and waiting to join your tribe. Maybe unemployment is the perfect opportunity to really get started and fully take control of your own destiny.

Until next time...keep winning...

Jonny Quirk

If you like what you've read here, have your own success story, or want to join the conversation around entrepreneurship then hit me up on Twitter or check out our YouTube channel - I'm always around!

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.