FunEmployment: Laura Malamud
Old Unfun Job: Director of marketing and social media at marketing agency in the Washington, D.C. area.
New Fun Job: Food blogger
Nicole—What got you into the Funemployment club?
Laura—After taking a cross-country trip from Washington DC to Phoenix, AZ (which I displayed on a devoted blog ), I launched my own communications consulting company, LM Communications. I decided to launch the company to allow for greater flexibility in work hours . I also partnered with a friend to launch a food blog—Something Big Something Small (somethingbigsomethingsmall.com). I've always loved to cook and entertain and my friend felt the same way, so we launched this blog to share our adventures. In doing so, I've able to get back to the fun I felt about cooking and social media.
Nicole—Cooking sounds fun...but what about, um, paying the bills?
Laura—With unemployment comes the obvious challenges of lacking a steady flow of income, having to pay an exorbitant amount for things like health insurance and having to cut back on the luxury items I was previously used to. On occasion, I also miss the hustle and bustle of the office, the social interaction you have with colleagues and the innovation that comes with working with great minds.
However, the benefits have been amazing. I have had the time to try new hobbies, catch up on books, spend time with my family, get deeply involved with charities close to my heart and spend time figuring out what I really want to do next. Instead of focusing on the expected next step, I've been able to step back and rediscover what I am passionate about .
Nicole—Ah, passion... what's that? Just kidding. What kind of advice, aside from eat, pray, love, do you have for someone feeling unfun and unpassionate about their current job in the midst of the tough job market?
Make sure you have saved enough money to handle both the fun things and the responsibilities. Take this time to discover what you are passionate about in the first palce , do those hobbies that you never had time for—you'll find the right fit after that.
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