For those currently unemployed - help thread

[The Heretic]

I am just going to put this here in the pub because it seems like the place to put it for a number of reasons.

My goal? To provide a place for us to put helpful info on:

1) What benefits there are (besides standard state benefits) - specifically, the stimulus bill benefits.

2) Help in getting back to work

3) Help in keeping motivated to find work

Please leave the politics/et. al. out of this thread (note to self - practice what you preach) and keep it helpful info. If you need to vent on politics/etc., start a new thread. Keep posts here constructive, not critical. Thanks.

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[The Heretic]

Stimulus bill offers $600 a week to the unemployed for 4 months | CNN Politics

In a historic expansion of unemployment insurance, the federal government would give jobless workers an extra $600 a week on top of their state benefits for four months as part of the $2 trillion stimulus bill the Senate passed unanimously late Wednesday night.

www.cnn.com

 

[The Heretic]

My qualifications:

I am an old hand at this. Been unemployed - usually suddenly and unexpectedly - many times. Sometimes for extended periods (longest was 2 years and 2 days during the dot com crunch) and lots of times not being able to find a job until the UI benefits ran out (usually 26 weeks or roughly 6 months). Once there was there was the NAFTA thing - I forget if that extended benefits or not. There was federal benefit extensions at least one time. Been thru one UI dept. audit of my job search (when you go so long they want to make sure you are actually searching).

When I was young, unskilled in the mid 70s, I was unemployed 50% of the time because I was seasonal labor (mostly in the mobile home factories, but also working in ag or anything else I could find that paid min wage). Back then, you had to go stand in line and fill out cards about the size of a bank check IIC, showing your job search and turn them in.

My stint in the USCG was the first steady job I had where I didn't need to worry about a paycheck (I thought - congress often held up funding) or job security.

Afterwards I used my GI Bill (old) to go to college, then after two AS degrees I still struggled for 6 months to find a job until I was offered one in tech. From there I went upwards in skills/experience/satisfaction and pay to where I was yesterday, making a 6 figure income with software dev skills that are maybe still in demand, to where I am now, making nothing, so close to FRA (Full Retirement Age) that I now not only need to file for UI benefits, but also medicare and in a couple of months start the paper for SSI benefits to start in August.

While it is kind of doubtful that hiring managers and tech teams will hire someone 66 and so close to FRA, I am going to try anyway - I have kids who are struggling on a single income and I just lost $80K (on paper) in my IRAs. I need a good steady income for another year or two (maybe more) to finish out my career. If nothing else I need those UI benefits.

My plan is to do a diligent job search and get benefits as long as possible, probably into the end of the year or into next. If I get no bites - whether it is due to the job market or my age - then I will reconsider my situation.

But stuff happens. When it does, deal with it and move on as best you can.

Remember:



Keep your eyes on the road ahead.

 

[oremike]

One of the things I've done when unemployed is set up some sort of side work, not really to make a bunch of money but to keep me busy. Whatever I did I needed to already have the skills and tools to do. I also needed for it to be something I could do on my time and stop at anytime when I got a real job again. Things like yardwork both in my yard and others, firewood, and in '09 I thought that when I retired I might like to be a professional environmental photographer so took my motorcycle and good camera and went exploring and taking pictures of cool things with a penchant for Indian Rock Art. The main thing and why I called it work was to occupy the same time frame in my life as a real job. No sitting on the couch eating Bon-Bons and watching Oprah TV for me.

 

[The Heretic]

So first, some info on the stimulus check, which most everybody will get:

F.A.Q. on Stimulus Checks, Unemployment and the Coronavirus Plan

The $2 trillion relief package is sending money directly to Americans, greatly expanding unemployment coverage and making a number of other changes.

www.nytimes.com

Suggestion, put that money in your checking account to pay your regular bills. Do go blow it on unnecessary expenditures.

 

[The Heretic]

One of the things I've done when unemployed is set up some sort of side work, not really to make a bunch of money but to keep me busy.

Yes, don't sit around doing nothing.

First and foremost, make it part of your daily chores to find a job - check job seeking resources, apply for jobs you find, work on your resume, etc. - at least for one hour a day. I do it first thing in the morning to get it out of the way. I try to get at least one resume/application/etc. "out the door" per day. Most state UI departments require at least three job search activities per week. I try to do at least twice that many so that if they do an audit, then when (not if) they disallow on activity, then you still have enough to satisfy the requirements for that week.

I have a LOT of chores around my property that have gone undone because of winter, laziness, a bad back and the fact that I spent 2 hours commuting every weekday in addition to my 8 hour work day (which was mentally exhausting). Now I don't have those excuses - I can at least do some chores and when (not if) my back hurts I can take a breather.

When I was laid off during the dot com crunch, I would go out and whack away at the black berry bushes that were trying to grow up onto the duplex I was renting. It was cathartic when I was frustrated about yet another rejection for a job I was applying for. Indeed, when I got a call that I was to start work for a previous employer, I was out whacking away at those brambles and digging up the roots.

 

[The Heretic]

Another tip - although it may be too late if you are already unemployed: don't burn your bridges behind you. Leave on good terms, polite and professional. Don't badmouth anybody at your old job.

Why? Even if your employer/boss/etc. were complete anal orifices and you have bad feelings, it can come back to haunt you.

1) Past employers may hire you back. I've had that happen twice, the second time I had some hard feelings about how they handled the terminations of those they laid off, but I mostly kept my mouth shut.

2) The word gets around. You don't know who is friends with who. Speak bad of someone and it may get back to them. Then when a prospective employer checks on you and asks the grapevine, they hear bad things.

 

[Baseacegoku]

For those in the mid-valley who have been laid off. The company I work for is still hiring and will not be shutting down.

Might not be shutting down. But work has significantly reduced and they had to lay people off.

 

[JRuby]

When I have been layed off and I feel it coming again - I spend at least four hours a day doing research and refreshing skill sets. Make finding a new job your job and seriously work at it.

 

[The Heretic]

Also, get to work on that resume. Create one if you don't have one, update it if you do. Make several different resumes for different job targets - don't rely on just one that is general.

Just got an email from a recruiter at my previous employer (a staffing agency) with a job that would be 30 minutes closer and a 15% raise. Unfortunately, after looking at what the client want, I would be a very poor fit and would not qualify, but I need to update my 6 year old resume and get it to them so they know what jobs I can do and what I am a poor fit for.

 

[Stomper]

Also, get to work on that resume. Create one if you don't have one, update it if you do. Make several different resumes for different job targets - don't rely on just one that is general.

Just got an email from a recruiter at my previous employer (a staffing agency) with a job that would be 30 minutes closer and a 15% raise. Unfortunately, after looking at what the client want, I would be a very poor fit and would not qualify, but I need to update my 6 year old resume and get it to them so they know what jobs I can do and what I am a poor fit for.

They wanted a hot 20-something blonde woman, huh?

 

[The Heretic]

They wanted a hot 20-something blonde woman, huh?

That's what I want - they wanted someone with 'deep knowledge' of a different tech stack.

 

[The Heretic]

Apply for UI benes ASAP.

For state benes, there is a "waiting week" where you don't get paid anything, but you have to do the job search activities nonetheless. The next week is what you will get benes for. It can take several weeks to a month before you get your first check - especially if there is any question about your qualifications or your wages or whatever.

I once worked for an outfit in Seattle that had the bad practice of hiring people, then letting them go after a few months for whatever reason, then telling UI that the person quit or was fired for reason - they did that to me and I just quoted what my boss said in his exit interview "we don't have enough work for you" and UI sided with me (they do that because for each person they lay off, they have to pay a higher UI insurance rate).

With the fed benefits, assuming they get enacted (most probably will), I read there is no waiting week. I also read that this will probably go thru the state UI system, so you probably won't need to apply for the fed benefits separately. The max number of weeks will probably be 39 but that will vary by state. I believe both ORegon and WAshington have 26 weeks of benefits, then there is the fed 13 weeks. In the past, I think there were extensions to extensions - back after the 2008 recession.

They also had subsidized COBRA health insurance payments for something like 3 or 6 months (I forget) - but I have not seen anything like that mentioned this time around. That's the other thing - you may want/need to check into COBRA :

All About COBRA Health Insurance

The COBRA health insurance program allows an individual to retain the coverage of employer-offered insurance in the event of job loss.

www.investopedia.com

 

[UnionMillsNW]

It's safe to say that none of us predicted this year.

It may feel like the world is upside down; But tomorrow the sun will still rise. We have a choice to sink in fear or rise with the morning and embrace the challenges of a new day.

I know a lot of people have lost their jobs and are struggling right now.

You are not alone.

For several years I worked as a professional resume writer and assisted hundreds of people in their career search.

If you or someone you know is looking for work and would like assistance email me at [email protected]

I'll help you with your resume, interview practice, or any other questions you have about getting back to work.

All Free.

As much as everyone is practicing being apart we are all in this together.

Let's be ready to get America back to work!

 

[Devneck]

Anybody in/near Vancouver, Wa or Lacy, Wa looking for work, my wifes company is hiring several positions.

The job is providing in home care for adults with disabilities. This is an "essential" service and state funded so reasonable to expect job security in rough times.

Minimum requirements are clean background check and high school diploma.

 

[Flopsweat]

What about a new section here in the classifieds? People looking for work and people who need stuff done. Want to hire/ Want to work.

 

[The Heretic]

Not UI benefits, but income nonetheless:

Receiving Social Security disability benefits? Living abroad? How much — if any — of the $1,200 checks Americans in special situations will get

We answer your questions about the stimulus checks

www.marketwatch.com

Coronavirus stimulus-package tax relief: Withdraw $100K from your IRA — and repay in 3 years with zero tax liability

Use the money to pay bills, pay down your HELOC, or simply to get through the pandemic.

www.marketwatch.com

 

[The Heretic]

U.S. unemployment offices sitting on mountain of pending claims

Last week's record-setting U.S. jobless claims number will be quickly surpassed, economists and state officials predict, as local labor offices digest a pile of pending applications, and the new stimulus bill extends benefits to the self-employed.

www.reuters.com

I noticed the Oregon website was flaky - hard to tell if it was overloaded or just poorly designed - maybe a little of both.

Be patient. If you can't get in or it keeps crashing on you, try it during hours when people are sleeping (although it may be shutdown for maintenance/updates during those hours).

 

[E4mafia]

May not line your pockets deep but if your strapped for cash and wanna have some income vs NO income, security is "essential" and has plenty of openings between armed/unarmed. There is AlliedUniversal/Securitas/G4S/Pinkerton to choose from in the area.

Better than twiddling thumbs hoping for a saving grace imo. Then again unemployment is crazy generous right now.

 

[Salps]

I work in Seattle area, my employer has refused to enforce social distancing at work. I dont work with health care just retail store. We have 3 to 5 employees in a very small area. I told them I don't feel comfortable working so close to the other employees. So last week I took 1 week of vacation to think about the situation. I have asked what can they do about it and they have no solution. After yesterday's new conference with the Governor where he spoke in great detail about work place distancing. Told them if they dont fix it, I will need to be layed off or fired as I will not return to work under these circumstances. I also told them I may have to report their procedures to the State of Washington if something is not done soon. So here I sit at home enjoying my time off. It's been interesting, hope it all works out.