Anyone unemployed ?

[JuliaB4GSP]

I haven't worked in about a year(I was attending school last semester) and I've been trying to find a job for well over a month now -- I've applied at about a dozen places, and none of them have responded. I refuse to apply to a corporation like Walmart or any fast food places.

My question is, if I were to request an unemployment check, would I even qualify for one? If so, how much would it be monthly?

You have to work a job to collect unemployment. It's one of the benefits of working. Might be different in England or Canada.

You usually have to have some sort of work experience to not have to start at the lowest rung of the job market. If you have no marketable skills, no one but retail or food service will bother with you.

 

[Gaylords Force]

You have to work a job to collect unemployment. It's one of the benefits of working. Might be different in England or Canada.

You usually have to have some sort of work experience to not have to start at the lowest rung of the job market. If you have no marketable skills, no one but retail or food service will bother with you.

Usually you need to have been let go also. If you get fired for being late or cursing out a customer, you probably won't get unemployment. I think there is a specific time frame after you get fired in which you need to apply for unemployment also.

 

[Cptn1NSAN0]

Currently unemployed. Need a new job but would much rather build and rule a Barksdale-type seedy underworld black market kinda deal.

 

[The Soothsayer]

Still in college, and the wife is successful and a few years older than me.

I can't complain.

 

[The Soothsayer]

Currently unemployed. Need a new job but would much rather build and rule a Barksdale-type seedy underworld black market kinda deal.

I want to steal a yacht and begin a reign of chaos on the Thai coast as a modern day pirate.

 

[ghoul]

Unemployed for almost 2 years now. There seems to be nothing out there, which sucks, because I'm not too picky about what to do. I'd rather have a part-time job than nothing at all.

 

[ClubFoot]

Ask NJ Parrott

 

[Shawn91111]

I was laid off after 7 years with my company back in May, found a higher paying job through a contact 2 days later. But now this job is teetering as people all around me are getting laid off.

 

[The Mentalist]

Been unemployed since October after being laid off. Thinking about getting unemployment checks, but I feel enough like a bum already and I still have good amount saved up. No place is hiring, and Im not sure what I want to go to school for.

I think anyone here that has worked at Walmart or knows anyone that works at Walmart can attest to the fact that they treat their employees like shit, and it's just overall a terrible place to work at.

If I dropped out of High School and never attended college I'd consider working at Walmart, but since that's not the case, I think I'm good. I did however apply to a few a management positions at Target.

I'm not really going to pick up an unemployment check, because I'm not a bum, however, I was just curious as to how the system works and if I'd be 1) able to receive an unemployment check in the first place and 2) how much it would be for.

Do not feel bad about getting unemployment! It's there for you to use, use it! I've been out of work for three months. I have a wife who also lost her job and a kid. I have a house payment and food to buy, I didn't care about collecting unemployment. It is not welfare! You've worked all those years and your employer has paid into the unemployment insurance program so it's there when/if you lose your job.

I repeat, DO NOT FEEL LIKE A BUM FOR GETTING IT!

As far as the working at Walmart thing, I applied and they wanted to pay me $9 an hour. That was far less than what I was making before, less than unemployment paid me a week, and not enough to support my family. It wouldn't have been worth my time to work there.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

I was unemployed 2009 and last year for a bit.

You DO have to treat it as at LEAST a "near" full-time job, as in, applications, phone-calls, meetings, interviews for 6 hours a day MINIMUM.

Hit every local meetup/networking meeting, applications online (even 100 a day) is NOT job searching.

You will be better served applying to 5-10 jobs a day, 20-40 a week that you reach 60%+ of the requirements, and FOLLOWING UP with a phone-call, walking INTO the office with your resume / cover, finding out who the manager is, etc.

Find manager: who posted the job? Search LinkedIn, find the department Director (even if thats not the hiring manager), use Jigsaw (its a $1 per contact, or, upload 1 contact of a previous company for 1 contact), and cold-voicemail them.

It will increase your chances for an interview.

If its NOT the hiring manager, your iterate your interest, and ask if their is someone specifically you can speak with.

Do this every 2 weeks until you hear a NO.

Tune your resume (don't lie, but you don't use a management resume for a sales position, etc.), so have different folder.

My own had resumes:
General-Full
Account Management
Account ManagementSEOFocus
Recruiting
RecruitingManagement
Sales
SalesManagement

All with little tweaks: like emphasizing the MOST qualifying position for that job (re: marketing positions have 1-2 paragraphs, but in the sales resume, they have 1-2 sentences).

Its about the FOLLOWUP.

The ONLY goal of your resume and job search is to get INTERVIEWS.

Then follow from their.

If you identify 10 industries you want to work with, target 10 companies a week:
-Research the company, space they operate, growth pattern, what you Feel you can contribute to the company
-Find the hiring manager
-Follow-up
-Failing the hiring manager, a voicemail/call into the HR is fine
-If you "love" the company, show up and drop your shit off, asking if the hiring manager has 10 minutes to chat

Keep a damn spreadsheet/word doc, anything to track who you've applied too, your follow-ups, and when to re-follow-up

Example, a tech company I wanted to work for, I found who posted the job, the potential Director, and the potential Sr VP. I was connected on LinkedIn to a Director in a DIFFERENT group (from promoting/commenting intelligently on the articles he published, following the industry and company), and cold-Linkedin messaging him,



This let the "pressure" off of "if you know someone, I'll kill the interview, but otherwise, its no worries!"

Following up has been the only way I've landed positions (gained interviews, then gone from their).


let me repeat, applying online 50x a day is NOT effective job searching, and makes you "feel" like you are doing something.

Its great if you've done the above GOOD job searching, and can net interviews, but its not the most effective.

One problem with "networking" groups is that the majority of people are unemployed.

So instead hit "meetups" like marketing associations, tech groups, etc.

After the 6 hours of job searching, build your personal skillset to make yourself marketable (a blog, learn a new tech set, write a portfolio, write case studies on companies you want to work for, design marketing campaigns for _anything) etc.

I had fallen into that trap of only doing online apps, and sending resumes. I did however get interviews that way, and I would call up the person whom interviewed me to followup. It never seemed to work.

I never did find out who the managers above HR were though. I figured that would be like spamming and harrassment.

This was all during my entry level days. Now how can you go to meetups if you are not invited. And if you are entry level, what do you bring to the table at these meetups to get noticed and not gaufed at?

 

[Space]

Unemployed for almost 2 years now. There seems to be nothing out there, which sucks, because I'm not too picky about what to do. I'd rather have a part-time job than nothing at all.

Walk into a mall and you'll be hired by the end of the week.

Or am I being an asshole here?

Two years?

 

[RTR ATL]

unemployed, though I'm in college, but its only community college :icon_sad:

Nothing wrong with that. If you are at a community college with a good transfer program you can save an insane amount of money taking your core classes.

I'm unemployed technically. I'm a student, and I fill in shifts at a gym. I gave up my shifts since my classes are getting more and more time consuming. I've got an internship offer for the summer.

 

[redjako]

I had fallen into that trap of only doing online apps, and sending resumes. I did however get interviews that way, and I would call up the person whom interviewed me to followup. It never seemed to work.

I never did find out who the managers above HR were though. I figured that would be like spamming and harrassment.

This was all during my entry level days. Now how can you go to meetups if you are not invited. And if you are entry level, what do you bring to the table at these meetups to get noticed and not gaufed at?

It isn't harassment... a quick call, and you tend to get voicemail. The worst that can happen is the job is still a No. Just don't be creepy about it (meaning, try to get your anxiety under control, Smile over the phone). Most of the time, if you GET someone on the phone, do:

"Hi, I was under the impression you may be the hiring position for this role, I would love to interview, did you have any open times this or next week?" If they hem and HAW, which means maybe they closed it, or they want to say no, ask "if this is a bad time, I can call next week perhaps?"


Meetups I just mean trade associations, or even www.meetup.com, or LinkedIn groups.

Most of those are free, except for Associations, like AMA: American Marketing Association.

There are SHIT LOADS of associations local to communities (like WordPress, Ruby, .NET, etc. for technical).

just google _market/field/industry association or
_market/field/industry group

 

[Caution]

Ive been in and out of work since i left HS, not enough permanent jobs in my area.

Im hoping the next job i get lasts longer than a year but i doubt that will happen.

 

[closetfighter]

who cares if you feel like a bum collecting unemployment? at least you feel like a bum with $300 extra in your hand. i've been working full time since i graduated high school and you better believe if i get laid off im cleaning out my locker and heading straight to the EI office.

funny thing, in Canada, it's called employment insurance. which actually kinda makes sense. unemployment insurance is a weird term. like an employer calls you on the phone and says "you got the job!" and you're all like "hold it motherfucker, i have unemployment insurance"

 

[closetfighter]

Ive been in and out of work since i left HS, not enough permanent jobs in my area.

Im hoping the next job i get lasts longer than a year but i doubt that will happen.

i don't envy anyone living in the UK right now. my buddy went to a music production school there for 2 years and made quite a few friends. he says its fucking BAD over there. people working like fucking slaves 7 days a week just to make rent in their 10'X12' 1 room loft that has a mini fridge and a hot plate.

 

[madizm2]

If you are looking to get started I highly suggest you check out this site: http://www.liquidation.com

I sell mostly sporting goods on eBay but this Liquidation.com sounds interesting and I've looked around the site for a bit. What experience do you have with purchasing from them?

 

[Fijeeto]

You earned the right to recieve unemployment from working your previous jobs. Take advantage of it and keep looking for jobs in the meantime.

Do not feel bad about getting unemployment! It's there for you to use, use it! I've been out of work for three months. I have a wife who also lost her job and a kid. I have a house payment and food to buy, I didn't care about collecting unemployment. It is not welfare! You've worked all those years and your employer has paid into the unemployment insurance program so it's there when/if you lose your job.

I repeat, DO NOT FEEL LIKE A BUM FOR GETTING IT!

The girl Im currently dating has been saying the same thing. I think Im hesitant to get unemployment because my current job was in healthcare, and it really pissed me off to see freeloaders take advantage of the system. Im not saying all people on unemployment are bums, but the majority we took care of were.

I guess I just never thought Id see the day when I would be let go after a decade. Ill apply online and see what happens. Thanks.

 

[Forgottoduck]

i don't envy anyone living in the UK right now. my buddy went to a music production school there for 2 years and made quite a few friends. he says its fucking BAD over there. people working like fucking slaves 7 days a week just to make rent in their 10'X12' 1 room loft that has a mini fridge and a hot plate.

Nah, it's not that bad.

A lot of lazy people here though that are willing to bitch and moan about not being able to get a job but they're hardly even trying.

 

[bragglefraggle]

I'm a student, going to file for unemployment because I'm turning poor and I'm not getting my social security so I don't care