Are You Mentally Unemployable?

Published: June 27, 2008
This was originally published on my now defunct No Job for Mom blog.

I always thought I was fickle, but that's not the case. In browsing through a forum the other day I found the proper diagnosis for my condition. I am Mentally Unemployable!

For those of you who just can't seem to find the right job to keep you challenged and happy, maybe you're suffering from the same condition. Here are a few clues to help you self diagnose:

You might be mentally unemployable if you don't want to go to work at a job. The mentally unemployable don't mind working, but it's just the need to get up, get showered, dressed, make the lunches, get the kids off to school. They partake in the usual morning madness of rushing just to hurry up and wait in traffic or on the train or in the elevator to get to a job where you spend hours in strategy meetings reviewing the same thing over and over again.

The mentally unemployable understand the merit rating system. If I work really hard, I should get really paid. If I sit at the water cooler all day, I shouldn't get paid.

A mentally unemployable person's middle name is efficiency. Mentally unemployable folks tend to find a faster more accurate way to accomplish a task. They get work done and get it done well.

The mentally unemployable just cannot stand the thought of wasting several prime hours in the morning commuting when they could actually be accomplishing a task that brings them closer to their goals.

The mentally unemployable are constantly flooded with ideas and new ways to accomplish tasks. Their minds are constantly flooded with brilliant ideas only to be shot down by upper management (who really doesn't understand).

The mentally unemployable are bored at work. They lack a worthwhile mentally stimulating challenge.

The mentally unemployable constantly think of ways to earn money doing something they enjoy. It's more than just a passing thought; it's more like an obsession.

The irony of it is that the mentally unemployable are usually well-respected, good employees because of their driven nature. They know how to view and analyze a situation, come up with a plan of action and implement it. They know what it takes to get things done.

If you suffer from at least half of the above symptoms, my friend, you are in the same boat as I am. Welcome to the mentally unemployable club (do not confuse mentally unemployable with work-aversion-itis).

Now that you have your diagnosis, what are you going to do about it?

About the Author: I am Felicia A. Williams, a wife, mom, grandma, writer and eternal student.

Last Modified: 25 November 2020