UNEMPLOYED

BY KENYON MACDONALD

     In the personal essay "Unemployed", by Kenyon MacDonald, (2016), MacDonald claims that his termination that he viewed as one of the worst experiences in his life, to be a pivotal moment where he changed job careers and went back to school.  He asserts that this termination gave him a new appreciation for what he has and he develops this idea by giving us background concerning his job employment.  He then tells us what led to his being fired and how it made him feel.  His purpose is to let young people know that in this world of change, it is important to appreciate what you have because it could change at any moment.  His intended audience is other young people.

     MacDonald's essay show that in the end he was able move past the most embarrassing day in his life onto better things.  I found illuminating that he was also able to recognize the fact that he did play a part in the loss of his job.  Sometimes, I've noticed that young people tend to want what they want right now, and feel if they are completing a task they should get immediate results.  They often do not react well when they don't get their way.  When MacDonald didn't get the results he was expecting, his work ethic changed and his job performance declined.

     MacDonald enlightens us to the fallacy of thinking a job will always be there. Change is constant and that applies to the job market also.  Maturity is an important quality to exercise when engaging with your coworkers.  His recognition of the fact that he was sometimes "a bit hot-headed", (141), is an acknowledgment that he contributed to his demise.  He also points out that though this was a bitter moment, he learned from it and was able to move on to better things.

     His intended audience speaks to other young people entering the job market, and he highlights some mistakes they could avoid.