Four things middle-aged people should never do after losing their jobs

 By middle age, one might assume that life has settled into a stable routine. However, sudden unemployment can feel like a bolt from the blue, disrupting all sense of rhythm. Faced with such adversity, many people resort to desperate measures, unaware that these four seemingly quick fixes to “turn things around” are actually traps that can plunge one into an even deeper abyss.

1. Never blindly start a business

At 45, Old Zhou lost his job in the layoff wave at a major internet company. With 500,000 yuan in severance pay, he refused to settle for a small company and plunged into the business of children's educational toys. He believed that with his past management experience and accumulated network of contacts, the business would surely run smoothly. However, from site selection and renovation to supply chain setup, every step encountered numerous issues. Compounded by the impact of online e-commerce, his physical stores saw no customers. Within eight months, he not only lost all his savings but also accumulated 200,000 yuan in debt. After middle-age unemployment, funds, energy, and the cost of trial and error are no longer abundant. The probability of entrepreneurial success is akin to winning the lottery, and impulsive entry often results in total loss.

II. Stay Away from Stock Market Speculation

After being laid off, Old Zhang heard from a friend that they had made money through stock trading, which piqued his interest. He invested all his retirement savings into the stock market and followed so-called “investment gurus” to leverage his investments. Initially, he did make a small profit, which made him increasingly arrogant, even fantasizing about achieving financial freedom through stock trading. However, the market can turn on a dime. During a major market crash, he not only lost his entire principal but also ended up owing the brokerage firm a significant amount of money. The economic pressure of unemployment can cause people to lose rationality in the stock market, driven by greed and fear, ultimately becoming “cabbage” to be harvested by others.

III. Choose physically demanding jobs with caution

At 48 years old, Old Chen, after losing his job, chose to drive for a ride-hailing service to make money quickly. He started work at 6 a.m. each day and finished at 1 a.m., working an average of 17 hours daily. Within just half a year, he suffered severe pain in his cervical and lumbar vertebrae and was involved in two minor accidents due to fatigue driving. While his income seemed decent, after deducting fuel costs, vehicle depreciation, and medical expenses, little remained. Jobs like driving for ride-hailing services or delivering food, which require sacrificing health for meager income, are akin to drinking poison to quench thirst for middle-aged individuals—a lose-lose situation.

4. Rejecting a passive, unproductive lifestyle

After losing her job, Ms. Liu, a neighbor, completely let go of her responsibilities. She spent her days binge-watching shows and scrolling through short videos, and her nights playing mahjong with friends, living a “retired” lifestyle. A year later, when she tried to find a new job, she discovered that the industry had already undergone significant changes, and the skills she possessed were no longer up to date. More alarmingly, her prolonged absence from the workplace had caused her to lose her ability to communicate with others and solve problems, leading to repeated failures in job interviews. Lying low may seem easy and comfortable, but it is actually a form of slow suicide, narrowing the career path for middle-aged individuals.

Middle-aged unemployment is not the end of life, but a new beginning. By avoiding these “pitfalls,” staying calm, and rationally planning for the future, one can eventually find their own path out of adversity through learning new skills and expanding their professional network.