The Summer I Turned… Unemployed
Ever since I was let go from my last corporate job 4 days before moving to Chicago, I’ve been waking up each weekday morning with the thought:
‘What now?’
To any future employer who is viewing this: I promise I can explain.
I’m sure that anyone else who found that their job security wasn’t so secure—whether recently laid off, a college grad struggling to land their first role, or someone whose livelihood was suddenly deemed "inefficient"—knows that today’s job market is a completely different game than in generations past.
After initially picking up the pieces of my life that came from my big move and career shift, I’ve been able to change my mindset from:
“What now?” to “What next?”
“Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise,” my friends and family said. “You have the summer to enjoy and bounce back.”
It’s the beginning of June as I write this, and now that I’m settled into my cozy corner of this amazing city, I’ve been reflecting on what I truly want to do with this break from the 9-5.
For years, I really enjoyed remote work. It gave me the perfect amount of work/life balance, and I felt like I was meaningfully contributing to society through the goals of the companies I supported. Thankfully, I was blessed enough to save an emergency fund during this time as well.
But with today’s market volatility and many companies enacting hiring freezes, if I’m destined to have a quarter-life crisis this summer, I figured I better make a plan of attack.
“Can you explain this gap in your resume?”
Well—technically, I don’t have one. For 8 years, I’ve been building a sustainable small business on the platform Depop. It’s been the ideal side hustle—flexible and aligned with my values around circular fashion.
When you’re the sole person working on anything, you know just how many hats you have to juggle at once. I’ve been my own social media manager, vintage curator, supplier, fashion consultant, and stylist—all in one.
I don’t have a gap in my resume because I can rely on building my small business at this time, and being the sole owner and operator has given me immensely valuable skills I can bring to any role. This is why I don’t view this period as a gap—but rather as a pivot.
Maybe I should pick up a new hobby…
…I thought, but then thought some more, and new hobbies can be expensive. This is coming from someone who already sews, thrifts, longboards, drums, plays guitar, does Pilates, collects cameras, develops film, and writes.
In the spirit of trying new things in my new city, but not trying to burn through my emergency fund, I have been trying new things frugally. I bought a Groupon for a barre studio in West Loop and tried 3 classes for only $20. Chicago is also full of free stuff for the summer, so I was able to try ‘house music yoga’ on the lake in Lincoln Park (the mix of late afternoon fog rolling over the skyline as Empire of the Sun played made for a surprisingly thrilling yoga experience).
These are two easy ways to get out when you’ve spent too many unemployed days at home, too guilty to explore because that typically means spending money.
Maybe I should learn some new skills…
One of the perks of living in a major city is access to so many new communities and classes that explore your interests. I figured this time would be great to spend working on a project I’ve had on the back burner for years: turning my digital art into real prints.
Some quick searching into ‘printmaking in Chicago’ led to me finding a Risography class at a local cooperative studio. After an introductory class into the techniques on handling the delicate Risography machine, my boyfriend and I were certified by the studio to book our own printmaking sessions. Risography is such a unique art form—it uses what used to be a corporate office staple to create underground zines, art prints, and community flyers. There’s something intriguing about repurposing a tool of the 9–5 to make something purely creative.
I’ve been working on prints for my first art book, ‘Everyone’s Hanging Out Somewhere’. I’ll share this on my personal or art Instagrams if you’re interested. Finally taking steps to achieve this goal has felt immensely exciting and rewarding, and I’ll be sharing this project soon.
At the end of the day, you don’t know where this unemployment journey will lead, and you’re accountable for everything that happens next.
Waking up unemployed is like starting with a clean slate—but it’s an empty one. The usual motivational phrases—"seize the day," "work hard, play hard"—feel hollow. You’re standing in front of the bathroom mirror thinking, “Who am I without a career?” Maybe this is uniquely American, but so much of our lives is defined by our jobs. When you meet someone for the first time, it usually doesn’t take long for the, ‘So, what do you do?’ to come along. Our jobs shape our goals, habits, personalities, and how others perceive us.
Somewhere early on in this journey, I found the community 80,000 Hours. It’s a not-for-profit company with the purpose of helping people find the meaningful career right for them, with the goal of solving the world’s most pressing problems.
The average career is 80,000 hours long. If I’m going to be working that much, I want it to matter. I want it to contribute to something bigger than myself.
They sent me their book 80,000 Hours: Find a Fulfilling Career That Does Good for free. I’ve been reading through it and considering if I want to find a similar path to what I was doing before, or change my career trajectory to a new industry in need. Before, I’ve felt like I’ve contributed meaningfully to industries I was in—clean energy and rare disease—and I’d like to bring my passion for sustainability to a meaningful company.
The summer I turned… unemployed.
To the possibility of a future employer reading this (still reading this!)—here’s what I’ve done so far this summer:
Settled in to a new, bustling city after leaving a rural small town
Reinvested in learning new skills and building my small business
Refreshed my resume, portfolio, and LinkedIn
Read books on career clarity and business direction
I plan to take this time to:
Finally publish a limited release of my first art book (made by my own hands!)
Explore my passion for writing again (hi blog!)
Look at how I can make my life and routine more sustainable and eco-friendly to align with my values (I’ve made some zero-waste and non-toxic swaps, I can write about this soon)
Explore career paths where I can use my skills to address today’s most pressing needs
And of course, connect with friends and family, because that is always a blessing of having additional free time
Finally, we often talk about unemployment with shame, like it’s something we must hide or fix immediately. But I’ve come to appreciate this time as a rare opportunity to reset, refocus, and step into a role where I can truly make a difference.
I know I did good work in my last role—and I know I’m meant to do even greater things in the next one.
Even though I still wake up some mornings with that cloud of “What should I be doing right now?” hanging over me, I believe things will work out.
Thank you for reading and until next time,
Hayley
