Following NV's sad news I was interested in the stories/experiences of the current/recently unemployed people here. A more realistic example of "we're all in it together", if you will.

I've been in and out of employment for the past year; I am in a much more satisfactory vocation now, but with unreliable hours. Two things I noticed: for all the practical implications, my self worth took the biggest hit for sure. I now realise I exaggerated it, so in hindsight I'd try and manage that more. Secondly, the job market is okay if you like sales...other careers need more "seeking out". Took me a while to figure.

Long post.