Reflecting on my months of funemployment so far. What did I learn? What would I have done differently? What should I keep doing?
1. I wish I would’ve worked with an interview coach sooner. The signal to myself that I needed to consider an interview coach was that I interviewed at a lot of places but didn’t land any offers. My regret is that I didn’t hire one sooner for feedback on what was or was not landing during my interviews, and how I should improve. Now that I’ve had a couple sessions, there is a lot I need to rework, and I only wish I would’ve done it sooner. My rule of thumb has traditionally been, if I’m not getting interviews after many applications, something’s amiss with my resume. If I’m getting interviews, but not offers, something’s amiss with my interview skills. I really liked the coaches I used from igotanoffer.com.
2. I should’ve written down all the questions asked during every interview to make sure I can prepare for similar questions in the future. I only started doing this recently. If I had done it more consistently sooner, I probably would’ve been even more prepared throughout my interviews.
3. The library continues to be my best friend. Whether it’s reading, audiobooks, or finding a quiet place to study and work, the library continues to be an incredible resource!
4. It’s easy to start going to coffee shops and spend $$. Coffee shops are great for working or relaxation, but they can get expensive. I noticed I was falling into the coffee shop trap early on and had to put the stop to that quickly.
5. I’m so glad that I took the time to invest in the things I never made time for while working. For me it helped to make a list of all the things I wanted to do, and prioritize them in terms of if they’re worth the investment or not.
Things I’ve done so far:
- Getting my injuries and weak points addressed at physical therapy
- Starting a new sport that has been on my mind for awhile
- Getting certified in first aid and CPR
- Volunteering
- Journaling
- Explored surrounding areas (and travel abroad)
- Investing in more online learning
- Organizing and donating things we no longer need
Still on my list are things like learning ASL and learning how to sew!
6. Keeping more than a year’s worth of emergency savings. I’ve read that having 3-6 months of emergency funds is ideal, but you never know what can happen. So keeping at least 18 months of emergency savings is what I’ll be aiming for moving forward. Not only for the living expenses, but to be able to travel and spend money on things like health and wellness, and learning during this time off, all costs money.
7. Each grocery store’s apps will show their latest deals and prices. It helps to compare prices between stores before going shopping.
8. Doom scrolling and true crime will rot your brain and waste your life. Even though I can’t help but get sucked in sometimes, both these things make me feel terrible and unproductive.
9. A lower income year could be a good year for a Roth Conversion. Being in a lower tax bracket year (i.e., due to unemployment), is a good time to do a Roth conversion. A Roth conversion is when you move money from a traditional, pre-tax retirement account into a Roth IRA. You pay taxes on the amount now, but after that it grows tax-free, and you won’t owe taxes when you withdraw it later. Because your income is lower, the taxes you pay on the conversion may be much less than they would be in a higher-earning year. And if you’re familiar with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early), you also know that you can use those converted amounts after a set period of time. We spoke with our CPA about this and we hadn’t even considered this!
10. The little things create joy. I didn’t realize how low key stressed I was about work until it stopped. While it’d be ideal if I had a job, I do feel in many ways happier than before. Throughout funemployment I’ve had more time to think about what inspires and motivates me, and sparks joy. It’s often the little things.
Even though I’ve already learned quite a bit about myself, there is certainly more I can learn in the months ahead (with or without a job). Here’s to 2026!
