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Comment by henrik_w | Hacker News Reader

I don't know about "funemployment". Not knowing what your next job is going to be takes a lot of the fun out of all the time you have (at least that's my experience). A much better situation is knowing that you'll start in say 3 months - then you can really enjoy the free time. Usually though, companies want you to start as soon as possible, so that rarely works out.

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I'm with you. The fun part of funemployment only lasts 2 weeks or so, or when the first rejection comes in.

That said, I found unemployment to be a great time to get fit. It's a rare time where working out for 90 minutes doesn't unduly impact other parts of life.

Better yet: it's a great time to develop a habit of exercise! It's not even a big time commitment (a simple lifting program will take you around 45 minutes every other day; a cardio program will probably take you twice that), and once you get into a habit of it its much easier to integrate into a busier schedule.

I was just thinking about doing this exact thing if I ever had a chance for funemployment. Exercise more, plan and prepare better meals, get a better sleep schedule. This is such a great suggestion, much different than just suggesting to work on side projects, building up your resume, etc.

It's actually in addition to all of that. Treating your body better also helps with self confidence and coping with stress. The routines can last after the job search is over, though perhaps just not with as much intensity or duration.

Why don't you just do that right now?

> The fun part of funemployment only lasts 2 weeks or so, or when the first rejection comes in.

This can be very easily extended by not looking for rejections. In my mind funemployment involves not looking for a job (or writing posts about what you're looking for in a new job, or thinking about jobs).

I fear unemployment like I fear the plague. Honestly I don't get anyone that would even jokingly refer to something like "funemployment". In fact, the very word brings up every negative stereotype about unemployed people such that I would hesitate to hire anyone that ever used it.

I've been employed constantly - literally without a day's break - since I was 14. That's 27 years of continuous employment but I still fear unemployment tremendously.

It's just words. Some will call it "personal projects" or "stealth exploratory startup" or ""consulting,"" some will call it "funemployment."

I think this is a generational thing. I'm 21 and I've been employed constantly since I was 14 as well (if you stretch your definition of 'employed' to include 'Wordpress monkey and high school helpdesk attendant), and the advantage of that is if I were suddenly fired or laid off, I don't have to live in paralyzing fear since I already have around half a year's worth of living expenses saved up. That doesn't mean I'd spend six months goofing around -- I'm a workaholic and I derive an unhealthy amount of value from my day-to-day work -- but I wouldn't be crushed or anything.

I think it's a symptom of being a member of an in-demand profession. I don't know of many other professions that employ as many recruiters as this one. It's easy not to fear unemployment with this many unsolicited offers in your inbox.

It can't possibly last though, so if you're a developer right now (as is the OP), you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to enjoy it.

Not sure why you were voted down, it is perfectly understandable to fear being unemployed. But it's a bad thing when it paralyses you.

What is perhaps most surprising is that I have observed that people are often a better employees if they are less afraid of losing their job.

Some insight: it's possible to be productive outside a job.

It's possible to make money outside a job. It's possible to earn money, save it, and live off it for certain periods, then earn more again later. It's possible to build income-producing assets outside a job. It's possible to learn new skills, etc., outside a job. Some people are overflowing with ideas for projects and some also have the willpower to put their own nose to the grindstone to get them done and ship, so don't need a job to accomplish things. They might only need a job to earn money, especially have a steady paycheck to expect regularly. The opposite of "having a job" is not "doing nothing" or "rotting away" or "being a parasite", etc. Also, some people are just happier with a less externally structured daily life, and with the power to direct their own daily choices. Seeking greater happiness is quite rational. Obviously it's wise to make sure one has the money one needs. But in a high-paying field like software development, and especially if you exercise willpower to keep a lot of your mandatory life costs low, it's quite possible to intentionally have periods of "unemployment" and yet still be in the black financially, and get a hell of a lot of productive stuff done. Often, more productive, because not held back by bureaucracy or legacy systems, and your stuff doesn't have to go into an NDA or back office black hole.

Funemployment. This is why that term is often used.

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