Unemployment is a phase of life, not a characteristic

Topics

• Job seeking
• Unemployment

Over the weekend, I read in Ilta-Sanomat about Vilma, a determined 27-year-old who, despite her degree in religious studies, found it challenging to find work. The story is unfortunately typical of our times: dozens of applications, but not a single interview invitation. In Vilma’s case, however, the story has a happy ending: thanks to her persistence, Vilma finally found a job.

The turning point for Vilma was to shift her perspective from a religious studies graduate with “difficulty finding employment” to a trendy “cultural researcher.” Broadening her perspective opened the eyes of recruiters and ultimately led to a job. In addition to highlighting the importance of choosing the right words, the article is a stark reminder of how hard job hunting can be.

Unemployment is normal

We at YTK have long wanted to challenge the unfortunately persistent stigma surrounding unemployment. Unemployed people are not – surprise, surprise – lazy, incompetent, losers, or anything else that conjures up negative images. Even today, when jobs are hard to come by and there are simply no new ones available, unemployment is all too easily seen as a characteristic inherent to the person themselves. People are not unemployed, they are simply facing unemployment. Unemployment is now a completely normal period in working life, which unfortunately affects many people during their increasingly long careers.

Job hunting requires full-time commitment

Vilma’s story really shows just how hard job hunting is. She is definitely not a slacker, but an active person whose diligence is admirable. An active daily routine, persistent work, continuous development of her own thinking and ways of working, and studying are a matter of course for her, even when she is unemployed.

We tend to see unemployment as a passive interim period – a time when nothing really happens. In reality, for many people, unemployment is one of the most demanding jobs imaginable. It involves not only constantly looking for work, maintaining and developing skills, and putting up with uncertainty, but also building a daily routine without a clear end point. At work, all this can be rewarded with praise, success, and a good salary. When you are unemployed, you have to find the strength to face each day based on your previous negative experiences, constantly pushing yourself forward.

What do you think about the unemployed?

I would argue that the stigma associated with unemployment is still strong. Many feel they have to defend their situation, even though they have worked harder for their career than ever before. This silent burden makes unemployment really tough mentally. The only reward and crowning glory is that the skills you learn while unemployed will definitely help you in the future. Most people do find work eventually, though.

I hope that Vilma’s example will help us all to reconsider our own thoughts about the unemployed. Working does not always mean a job and a title. It can mean maintaining hope, developing oneself, and having the courage to look ahead. And sometimes this is the most valuable thing a resume can tell you.

Ilona Kangas

Director of Employment Services

I help our members and employees to succeed at work in many different ways. I lead and develop the activities of YTK Worklife and am responsible for managing customer experience, marketing and communications in YTK Work life services and fund services.