The Unemployed Life

Your Be-Happy-about-Your-Friend’s-New-Job Guide

The good news: the unemployment rate finally appears to be falling and people you know are getting jobs. The less great news: you aren’t one of them, and even if you’re enjoying your funemployment, this shift is creating a bit of a rift.

Whereas it was easy to find camaraderie amongst recently laid off friends and colleagues at the beginning of the recession, that unity is becoming strained for some now that more people are finding jobs and leaving their unemployed buddies behind. Without anyone to commiserate with or take part in events like the Unemployment Olympics, the prospect of funemployment becomes a lot less, well, fun.

Of course, there’s no sense in wallowing in pity, which is why we put together this guide to surviving the transition when your unemployed friends finally return to work.

Don’t get passive-aggressive. And stop pestering your friend to ditch work and hang out.

Stay positive. Just because a colleague who was laid off at the same time as you has found a new gig, doesn’t mean you won’t find one soon, too. Avoid falling into the trap of misery once a close friend announces that he or she is returning to the workforce and focus on staying positive instead.

Piggyback on your friend’s success. A close friend’s new job could instantly boost your own career prospects, since you now have an inside source when his or her company is hiring again in the future. In addition, your friend’s new coworkers could all be sources for job information as well, which is why it might be worth dropping by your friend’s new office to check things out once he or she has gotten settled in.

Don’t get passive aggressive. Constantly making jokes or sarcastic remarks about your friend’s new gig is probably one of the worst things you could do, since you run the chance of alienating him or her and coming off as jealous. Instead, focus on the positive (see above) and make sure your friend knows how happy you are for his or her newfound success.

Accept that your friend will have less free time. Now that your friend has landed a job, there’s a good chance that he or she won’t have time for the Monday morning coffee chats or Thursday afternoon jogs in Central Park that you enjoyed so much while you were both unemployed. Learn to accept that, and stop pestering your friend to ditch work and hang out.

Relish in your own freedom. Just because your friend doesn’t have time for coffee breaks or weekday jogs anymore doesn’t mean you don’t. Bask in your own freedom and continue doing all the frivolous weekday activities you enjoy so much. After all, you might not have time for them in the future once you find a new gig of your own.

Tags: friends, funemployment, jobs, The Unemployed Life, work