5 Confusing Unemployment Questions Answered

So you’re jobless.  Laid-off.  Maybe you even effed up and got fired, but hey, it’s a recession — just say you were laid off anyway. Or maybe you’re currently employed, in which case, consider yourself blessed and read this anyway since losing a job at any minute is always a possibility.  Unemployment can be, among other unpleasant emotional qualities, confusing.  Here are five common questions answered to help make sense of it all.

1. Do I still have to pay college loans while I’m unemployed?

That monthly loan payment becomes that much more burdensome during a period of joblessness.  But you might be able to defer loan payments until you’re gainfully employed again.  Contact your lender for a deferment application.  Deferments are awarded in periods of six months, but you can reapply if your economic situation hasn’t changed, though you may have to “prove” you’re actively looking for work.  Additionally, for those paying off Stafford loans, the federal government will pick up the interest during the deferment period.

2. How to file for unemployment:

The New York State Department of Labor recommends you file for benefits the first week after the end of your job, and seeing as you now have a lot more free time, why not take their advice.  Naturally, you’ll need a whole series of official documents and personal information to file your claim, though you can still apply if you’re missing something.  Conveniently, you can apply for benefits online or over the phone.  Inconveniently, the first week after filing is considered a “waiting week” and is exempted from benefits.

3. I started collecting unemployment months ago and now my benefits have expired.  What the $@#% can I do?

Thankfully, as of December 19, 2009, unemployment benefits in New York have been extended from 26 weeks to 73 additional weeks for those who qualify.  The 73 bonus weeks, which pay the same amount you were getting before, are actually comprised of two separate programs for which you’ll have to apply separately – and you may only be eligible for one.  It also depends on a “tier” system that is at first glance complicated but not so intimidating with a careful read.  Your particular “tier” is simply a factor of when you first started getting unemployment checks, but take note: there are application deadlines for filing for an unemployment benefit extension.

4. What about health insurance?  Should I apply for COBRA?

While our well-to-do Congressmen in the House and Senate squabble over arcane details of a health care bill that may or may not actually do anything, the swelling ranks of the unemployed are still forced to make painful calculations about whether to purchase health insurance or chance it until they can get it through work again (if they can.)  Private and individual (i.e. not part of a discounted group plan) rates can be through the roof.  COBRA, a federal program, makes things a bit easier by allowing laid-off employees who had health care through their job to continue to buy insurance out of pocket at the group rate.  This usually means that what they pay per month will go up significantly, since their (former) employer is no longer subsidizing part of the cost.  “Qualified beneficiaries” have 60 days to make a decision.  Of course, the essence of that decision is a matter of personal financial calculation.  The cost of COBRA coverage will depend on your employer’s particular health plan, but generally, expect to pay around double than what you did before.  There are also other free and low-cost health insurance options for New Yorkers, so it’s worth checking out to see if you qualify for any of those programs.

5. What resources are offered for those looking for work?

Both the state and local government offer some limited assistance for people in search of work.  It might not be much, but it’s a start.  The State Department of Labor website provides job search information and resources about training and career counseling.  The New York Public Library system is also a potential source of assistance, offering a handful of resources (through its web site and in person) about how to look for work and how to improve your “employability.” Finally, CareerLinkNYC, which is a public-private entity serving the unemployed founded in the wake of the present economic crisis, provides ample resources about securing a new job, legal assistance, childcare, and other subjects.  And if you just need to rant about how impossible it is to live off of unemployment benefits in NYC, check out the $405 Club – a tongue-in-cheek “support group” for people in New York living off unemployment benefits.

Job Scam Feeds on Desperation of Unemployed Workers

Unless you’ve been hiding out in a black hole, you’re well aware of the scantness of the job market.  Chances are if you are not among the unemployed, you probably know a few people that are in the scramble for a steady monetary flow and health insurance.  Many troll through the usual job/career websites like Monster and Emurse in search of a full time gig, and many turn to the ever popular online classifieds at Craigslist, only to be disappointed when the potential job turns out to be a fraud.

Just recently, I decided to skim through some jobs on Craigslist and came across an administrative position in Midtown with a 55K-65K salary range.  The salary seemed a bit high for what the posting described as “basic admin and office support” with a few other minor duties.  Curiosity reared it’s ugly head and I emailed interest in the position.  The next day I received an email response from someone in HR of First Level Marketing thanking me for applying and further detailing the position’s duties (by “duties” I mean the usual peon drudgery) including making purchases such as office supplies using the company credit card.  They  went on to inform me that they “had some bad experiences with prior employees taking advantage of having access to a company credit card in the past” and needed me to get a credit check and provide them with the score before setting up an interview.  They even included a link to a site offering credit reports with a current free trial.  How convenient!

Sure that this was a scam, I used Google to find the company’s website.  It was basic, had simple graphics, a few section tabs and one stock photo.  On closer look, however, I took note that there was no real address listed anywhere.  The testimonial section was also dodgy; they listed several statements, allegedly from happy clients, but didn’t credit the statements to any specific people, only titles and companies were shown after a few sentences of praise.  This was weird since most testimonials you read will have a name and location or, if quoting a business owner or executive,  a name, title and company.

Wanting to know if anyone else discovered and was dishing the dirt on this scam, I decided to see what I could find out about this entity by doing a Google search of the contact phone number that appeared in the email.  I found two forums talking about the posting.  One angry Craiglister put up a response post warning job seekers.  People from cities around the country had seen and applied to this “job”.  Some admitted to clicking the link and providing the necessary information to get their scores and were now worried about identity theft.

Here are a few quick tips to help your sift through the scams:

• Don’t send your resume to anonymous job posters right away. Email your cover letter expressing interest, offer a brief summary of your skills and experience and ask for more information about the job and company.  Make sure to note that you will send your resume after you’ve received a response.

• Don’t give out any unnecessary personal information during initial phone or email contact. Social Security numbers and other personal identifying information needed for tax forms are reserved for new hires, not interested candidates.

• Get to Googling! Search the Craigslist unique email or a portion of the job description.  You might find the same post is listed for different cities around the country.  Scammers are trying to illicit as many responses as possible so they will often post the same job in different cities.  If you’ve already sent out an email and got a response, Google the names and numbers in that email for further verification.

• Be skeptical of high salaries listed for basic entry level jobs.  It’s not that someone can’t score a sweet 60k entry level position — it’s just uncommon.

• Be leery of company websites with no concrete info. (This is a bit obvious, but if you come across a savvy website you might overlook the fact that you didn’t see an actual landline or address.) Often times the sham website will omit the address and phone number and opt only for a “contact us” email form.

Craigslist can be a great source for finding stable employment, part-time gigs, or various goods, but many cons do exist.  Just about anyone can put up a posting on Craigslist for free which leaves room for the unscrupulous.  Think twice, and if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t.

Fancy a Job in Advertising? Show Off your Creativity and Get Paid!

Got an idea? Get cash.  That’s the idea behind Tongal, which allows users to show off their skills at any level of the creative process with a chance to win money from big brands looking for a bit of help.

The newest competition is for Lending Tree’s “You To The Rescue” campaign. The commercial focuses on Lending Tree’s MoneyRight financial tool, which is part of the company’s new online resources to help consumers take control of their spending.

The 30 second TV spot is still in the concept phase, so therefore needs Tongal users to get creative with an angle and video. The winning concept pockets $2,000 while the winning video can rake in nearly $7,000. That’s basically half a year’s rent.

If you’re not too creative, you still have a chance to win $1,000 if you accurately predict the winners.

For more details and other competitions that will feed your artistic side, go to www.tongal.com.

5 Strategies for Managing Your Time (and Stress) at the Office

As young professionals and/or recent college graduates, most of us are used to handing projects in a few seconds before they’re due, if not a few seconds — or days — after. And while waking up at 4a.m. to start a paper that’s due at 10 a.m. has gotten many of us through college (myself included), waiting for the last minute to complete a job-related task is a sure fire way to end up working overtime (off the clock) or even worse, unemployed. So, if you fell asleep during those time management workshops in college or are just unsure of how to apply those techniques to a workplace environment, here are five strategies you can use to maximize your efficiency at work, sans paper tray organizers and sticky notes.

Prioritize

Like school tasks, work tasks need prioritizing as well. And since handing in a document late at work will lose you more than a couple of points, you need to know what tasks are due first. Even if you know they’ll only take two minutes to do, you don’t want to forget about them in the midst of working on a more time consuming project. After the earliest-due tasks are complete, organize the rest according to the amount you think you might spend on each, putting the highest priority on those which will require the most time and effort. This brings me to my next point…

Ask Questions

Working on more time consuming projects first is a great time management strategy, providing you know what you’re doing. If you don’t have a clue about how to complete the project or are confused about some aspect of it, make sure you ask your supervisor (or fellow co-worker) for help. Many times people don’t ask questions because they fear what a supervisor might think of them. Remember, though, that asking a supervisor to clarify a few details can shave hours off the time you would’ve spent on a project had you not have asked for help. Not asking questions or assuming you know the right way to complete a task (when you clearly have doubts) can lead both to your own inefficiency and that of your co-workers, especially, if you’re working with a team who is depending on your work to be accurate.

Short Steps are Better than Long Strides

“I’ll finish it next week.”  While this statement may be useful in establishing a general time frame for any given task, it does little to help you complete that task. Breaking down a task into separate steps, as oppose to one giant assignment, can make the burden seem less daunting. Also, setting short term goals at work can help you assess your own progress and identify potential problem areas. After successfully identifying the steps of the tasks that are giving you the most trouble, you can devote more time to those particular skills, in addition to inquiring with others about potential solutions.

Create Motivation Points

After breaking down large tasks into small steps, get into the habit of creating motivation points. Motivation points are those moments in which you can gladly tell yourself “I have accomplished “x” amount of work, now I only have “y” amount of work left”. While saying this to yourself may seem a bit ridiculous, creating motivation points (which you can set up every one or two hours) is a great way to give yourself both a sense of accomplishment for the work you’ve finished, and a bit of motivation for embarking on the next step.

Take Five

Despite the fact that our fast paced society demands us to be “on” 24/7, people who are stressed, frustrated, and tired of their jobs tend to be rather unproductive. Sometimes we just need a little break. By this, I do not mean put your feet up on the desk and relax on company time. But, rather, that you should use the times when you are not working or at home, studying for a CPA or bar exam, to clear your head. Whether you’re on the subway, going to lunch, or just walking around outside, take time for you. You might find that listening to your favorite song, reading a few pages of the new Harry Potter book, or just admiring the trees in Central Park, can be that little bit of motivation you need to keep going during the day.

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If you didn’t master these strategies (or some variation of them) in college, it is vitally important that you master them in the workplace — otherwise you may not be in a workplace for very long. Learning to effectively manage your time at your job can lead to greater productivity, a better sense of job security, and more importantly, a less stressful environment.

How do you guys manage your time on the job? Let us know in the Comments Section.

Is it Fair to Sue Your School if You’re Unemployed?

The Post ran a story last week about a 27 year old recent college graduate who is suing her school, Monroe College, for $70K — her college tuition bill.  She claims that the Bronx college didn’t do anything to help her obtain interviews from potential employers. 

While I sympathize with her situation, she’s not the only one reeling from a shoddy job market.  According to a NACE survey, only 20% of 2009 graduates have found full-time work, and a projected 11% unemployment rate for the remainder of 2009 doesn’t look any more promising for upcoming graduates.

From The Post:

The Monroe College grad wants the $70,000 she spent on tuition because she hasn’t found gainful employment since earning her bachelor’s degree in April, according to a suit filed in Bronx Supreme Court on July 24.

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The 27-year-old alleges the business-oriented Bronx school hasn’t lived up to its end of the bargain, and has not done enough to find her a job.

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The information-technology student blames Monroe’s Office of Career Advancement for not providing her with the leads and career advice it promised.

Obviously, this is a ridiculous lawsuit, but it does bring up an interesting question:  What is expected of college career counseling centers after a student has graduated?

I personally never utilized the career counselors that were available at my university, having already set up an internship myself, which turned into a full-time job.  But, I’d like to get feedback from students who have taken advantage of these services at their college.  Were they helpful in finding you a job?  Did they solidify any interviews for you after you graduated?  Sound off in the comments section.

Photo credit: chris2k via stock.xchng

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