The Unemployment Experience: Questions and Answers

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Let me begin by suggesting you answer a few questions about being unemployed. This could help you find areas which might need some work. Furthermore this will be a good discussion to have with spouse, family or at a clergy support group or gathering.

What impact would unemployment have on your significant relationships? How would you "end" or change your relationship with your current work site during the last stages? Would you move out of the community, if not how would you relate to them? Where would you find social community of any sort? Do you have an avocation, hobby or area of interest that would benefit from attention during a transition? What resources, such as devotions, exercise, support groups, spiritual direction or therapy might you need or use. If money is minted self, in what would you “invest” during this period? If you were to go 9 month to a year without another job in your vocation: a) how would you use the time? b) Not using the term "unemployed", how would you describe yourself. That should be a good beginning; no need to keep these notes for future reference but the act of writing out the answers now would have an immediate beneficial impact.

I have experienced three types of situations which led to periods of unemployment; local economy crashing, staffing dynamics and residencies ending. In my first call, the parish overextended itself, and my second call sent me to Pittsburg and soon to become part of part of DMS, and the drama of Steel mills closing. So twice in the early 80’s my position as pastor was significantly affected by the economy, each time led to my leaving with brief periods of unemployment. Twice I left positions because of the Director, one due to his death, the other had an addiction. I left an ACPE Supervisory residency because I could not get my theory papers passed. Fortunately what came of that was I recognized I had an Attention Deficit Disorder. In one situation, also because of the radical change in health care in the 90’s, a brand new Center for Mental Health went from 90 beds to about 20 before I was finally laid off. When that position ended, my son was a junior in High School and looking at colleges. I did not tell him at first I had lost my job, but rather that I would be available for a road trip to look at colleges.

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