flinginpooh wrote:Taking a paycut? Right now on unemployment Im making around 14.50 an hour for a 40 hr week. The max allowed for unemployment. That is at an already 40% paycut for me. Now all the jobs out there are starting off less then 12 an hour. Will put me at over 50% paycut from my normal pay. Even less then my unemployment. I mean it maybe wrong to look at it this way but If Im gonna make more on the unemployment Ill stay on it till I get a job offer of more then 14.50 an hour. Or all my unemployment runs out.
As usual, bristling and NOT reading the entire passage, understanding it, then making comment.
So let me get this straight, you've taken a 40% pay cut to look for a job so that entitles you to a job paying what you were making before or more? Now, you have been out of work for over a year, I'm guessing you hold no professional certifications or degrees and are not a member of a labor union. That basically makes you unskilled labor in the eyes of most if not all employers. The going rate for unskilled labor is about $12.50 per hour. You can do what you want with that, it is what it is. If you make a little more on Un and you're not willing to move forward, so be it.
I'll try again and word it a little differently this time. The best way to get a new job is to already have a job. Working at any job will fit the bill. That shows employers you are willing and able to work. More important than that, it puts you in the network of working people. You will never find out about those "good" word of mouth jobs as long as you are not in the work place network.
If $14.50 is all that it take s to make you happy then OK. If you want to do better than that right off the bat, you need to make yourself more desirable or employable. If you aren't working there is only one way to do that. Go back to school and get some education, get a professional certificate, who knows you may even find a job through the school. You've been out of work long enough I'm sure you could secure educational funding through Employment Security.
Lastly, it takes many contacts a week. Not just the minimum required but an all day, every day search. It's a full time job looking for work. Online and in person. If you aren't putting out at least 100 resumes a week you aren't contacting enough people to find that magic $16 or $18 dollar an hour job. Personally I'd shoot for at least double that.
Please don't take this the wrong way. I've been in your shoes before and I feel for you and your family. I've paid a lot of money for the same advice from employment counselors and head hunters so passing it on to others is the least I can do. Lastly the most important piece of wisdom they have emparted is,
You are are the only person that's going to get you a job. You have to do it. No one is going to come by with jobs on a platter.
Here are some link to Free help with jobs and training]Find a job FAQ[/url]
Job Source
I stand corrected on one count on the job search, it's changed in the last year. Lest anyone thinks that just broadcasting resumes will suffice, think again. Here is a clip from UI Claims Kit:
What Must I Do To Find Another Job?
While claiming benefits, you must be:
* Able to work;
* Available to work;
* Actively seeking suitable work; and
* Registered for work with a WorkSource Office or local employment center.
You must maintain a log of your job search activities, if required.
For each week that you claim benefits, you must make at least three employer contacts or participate in three in-person job search activities (or a combination of both for a total of three) at your WorkSource Office or local employment center.Approved job search activities at the WorkSource Office or local employment center include workshops on topics such as job finding tips, interviewing skills, or how to use the Internet to find a job. Other facilitated activities that qualify may be offered by your local office.
If you are collecting additional or extended benefits under a state or federal program, you may be required to make more job search contacts each week.
If you are a member of a full referral union, you must comply with your union’s dispatch rules.
You may not be required to make any job search contacts if you:
* Have been granted Commissioner Approved Training (CAT);
* Are approved for the Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP);
* Are approved for Training Benefits;
* Are a member of a full referral union that is recognized by the department; or
* Are on department approved standby.
We will notify you of your job search requirements.
A valid job search contact is a contact with an employer to inquire about or apply for a job.
The following are NOT considered valid job search contacts:
* Posting to an online employment agency without an application submitted to a specific employer
* Job search contacts with employers that you know are not hiring
* Submitting a state application without a specific announcement number
* When it is determined the job search contact is designed in whole or in part to avoid meeting the job search requirements.We monitor job search efforts on a random basis for both in-state and out-of-state claims. If we select you for an interview to review your job search activities, you must bring proof of your identity.
You must also:
* Keep a log of your job search contacts. You can download additional job search logs on line at
www.log.go2ui.com.
NOTE: Copies of the Job Search Log are included in the back of this booklet. When your logs are completed, save them in case we ask you for them. Do not mail them to us unless we ask you to do so. Employer contacts listed on the log will be verified on a random basis. Keep these logs a minimum of 60 days past the end of your benefit year or 30 days past the receipt of any benefits, whichever is later.
Out-of-state claimants must also be prepared to record job search contacts for each week claimed.
* For each employer contact, you must provide the following items on your Job Search Log:
• The date;
• The business name and complete mailing address or
W
eb address;
• The business phone
number
, e-mail address
or W
eb address;
• How the contact was made;
• The person you contacted or the job reference number;
• The type of work you were seeking; and
• The result.
* For each in-person activity, you must provide the following on your Job Search Log:
• The date;
• The WorkSource office;
• A description of the activity; and
• The result.
* When scheduled, attend a Job Search Monitoring Interview at your WorkSource Office or local employment center to discuss your job search activities. Bring your Job Search Logs with you. If you fail to report for the one week review of your job search, we will schedule you for a job search review of all weeks claimed.
NOTE: If you are selected for an interview to review your job search activities, you are required to bring proof of your identity.
Job Search Guide
I also pulled a snip from an interview with aa UI auditor:
Some people wondered if the state office that handles unemployment benefits has the time to audit job-contact logs, given how busy they are these days.
Sheryl Hutchinson, spokeswoman for the Employment Security Department, was unable to say what percent of people are actually audited, but said the department summoned nearly 28,000 people for a review in a recent four-month period. That was out of a pool of roughly 150,000 people.
"(The reviews) are on a fairly random basis," Hutchinson said. "So we want people to know: You can get caught."
During a review, staffers look at job-contact logs and occasionally call employers to verify a contact. Lack of contacts -- or faked ones -- can lead
