Comedian sees humor in unemployment

Marc Mulvey's unemployment journey is pretty funny. And he hopes you'll laugh - a lot.

The Palatine resident was a freshly laid-off production manager looking for a break when he joined Harper College's "Career Stimulus" job-hunting support group in 2009. Help came from an unexpected source: a just-for-fun comedian hosted by the group in December.

"I left that meeting and I remembered how much I enjoyed comedy," says Mulvey, who had tried his hand at open mic nights in the past. Inspired, he drafted an entire sketch about being laid off, being unemployed and finding your place again - timely humor in a continued rough-and-tumble economy.

A firm believer that it never pays to take yourself too seriously, he's hopeful his act will bring a few smiles, especially from the unemployed.

"Sometimes," he says, "you just have to laugh at what you went through in this recession."

His one-man show uses his own story as its base - beginning with his termination, when his facility was shut down and his work was outsourced - but also lampoons the generic unemployment journey, from the lines delivered by unapologetic bosses to the reality check when you're stuck at home afterward.

"Frankly, at times like this, people get so serious they can lose their perspective," he says. "I think humor can help you keep your composure."

Mulvey, who holds a computer science degree and has worked in the engineering industry for more than 20 years, says he's still looking for a full-time job. But he's also enjoying this newest leg of his journey. He performed a piece of his show in Chicago already, and now is planning suburban gigs.

"I think it's fantastic. We're all about helping people do what they're passionate about," says Adult Learning Specialist Nancy Wajler, who oversees Harper's Career Stimulus program. "The whole purpose of our program is to offer options, encouragement and inspiration."

Career Stimulus has seen significant success since its March 2009 launch, with many participants acing interviews, landing jobs and launching new careers. Mulvey's story, Wajler says, "is another success story that's truly worth smiling about."