A Non-Patronizing Word Of Advice From A Formerly Long-Term Unemployed Man

I went through a protracted period of unemployment after earning my MBA (graduated in '08, right in the middle of the financial crisis), and I must say that it was the hardest time of my life. (Indeed, some researches have found that long-term unemployment has an equivalent adverse impact on mood as cancer.) With 28 million displaced workers in this country and approximately half of them with no job at all, chances are some readers of ECOMINOES are unemployed. A few are undoubtedly long-term unemployed as I was. If you're one of the unfortunate few, I'm sure you're sick and tired of being offered patronizing "advice". But I implore you to listen to this.

Avoid isolation at all costs. I made the mistake of spending hours, days, weeks, months, and more searching for jobs alone at home. Don't do that. Studies of inmates in solitary confinement suggest that long periods of isolation create mental health problems in many subjects who had no family history of mental illness. Most commonly, the mental health problems are manifested in loss of what is commonly known as will power. I ended up overeating and smoking heavily. If I had been wise and conducted more of my job search in public places, I likely wouldn't have let myself go like I did.

Long-term unemployment is extremely difficult. But trust me, you can save yourself some pain if you just stay among people.