It was the first week of January when the CEO of my company called everyone into the conference room to have a heart-to-heart about how the recession would affect our jobs. (1) No raises. (2) No Christmas bonuses. (3) Work day extended by an hour. I suspected that layoffs were impending. I prepared for the worst. I put in more hours at the office; I began racking my brain for ways to make extra cash, started saving every penny, and started expressing my fears, concerns, aggravations, and joys through writing. I started blogging and pitching stories. So when I was “involuntarily laid off” in May, I wasn’t distraught at all—I thought of it as a blessing in disguise, a chance to try the dream of being a writer. I looked at it as funemployment—a chance for me to step back from my life and exhale for a moment. And it was only a matter of weeks before my hobby became my career, at least a part-time one. But still, when you’re not in an office all the time, you do end up with serious free time. Here are the blogs I’m loving, made specifically by and for unemployed people.
- If you’re a fan of Stuff White People Like and you’re also unemployed, then you’ll be all over Stuff Unemployed People Like. Some of my personal faves include: #115: Buying Chips to Gain Access to the Salsa Bar, #98: Doing Good Deed Rewards for Money, and of course #82: Blogging About Being Unemployed.
- I initially got hooked on Unemploymentality.com because of their amazing column, “Diaries of a Temp.” Hey, who hasn’t been there? Soon, I realized this site really is the “definitive unemployment blog.” After you’re done catching up on the temp diaries, get hilarious unemployment tips from Broke-Ass Stuart.
- Where’s the best place to be unemployed? Brooklyn! In her blog, Unemployed Brooklyn, the mysterious MatchGirl chronicles everything from television watching to volunteer work, food stamps to walkabouts. She may even have a future career as an Etsy goddess—check out her handmade, stuffed elephants. Go MatchGirl!
