Job Justification

I am amazed at what the state comes up with for rules when it comes to MY unemployment. That's right, I said it, it is MY unemployment, I worked and I earned it and when I am on it, I am out looking for jobs. I do not need someone to tell me how to look for work!

The unemployment office is supposed to help us find work, however in the last year or so, they really haven't done anything to help me. They have told me repeatedly they do not get jobs in for people with Bachelors let alone Masters degrees. One even told me I should apply for work in the unemployment office, I am more qualified than she was to have that job. Huh, what??

Out of boredom and the hopes that I would learn something new, I took a class for 4 days on how to fill out a job application, how to rewrite my resume, how to dress and how to interview. The class was so B O R I N G as the instructor felt her way was the only way and one poor retired CEO tried to explain resumes aren't looked at most of the time....she chewed him out! But I took the class!

I even took a Microsoft Excel on line class they were offering to brush up on my skills. Still, the only agencies that have called me for employment are law enforcement agencies looking for my dispatch experience and that is okay, except now dun dun duh....I have hearing issues!

Not only do I have hearing issues, but I was terminated due to these issues and according to unemployment my past employer is not stating I was discharged due to my ears (for which I hold a letter stating such) but for unsatisfactory performance. Wow! Now I am a 55 year old has been! As in 'has been employed!'

So yesterday thanks to the federal paperwork reduction act, I receive not one but 2 notices in the mail from (you guessed it) unemployment. The first one tells me if I would like to consider starting self employment they can help me under a program called SEAP. They will train me to be able to run my own business.

Sadly, I couldn't see ice to an Eskimo, so being my own boss wouldn't fit here. I wish I could however, I attempted to start up two businesses in the last year and neither one took off. One was reading tutor for which I am qualified and received 1 paying student whose parents paid and never called or came back. Others called and inquired, but even at $15 for 30 minutes time, people said they couldn't afford it.

Then the disgusting thing is I decided to be a de-louser....that's right, a person who washes and combs out other peoples hair with lice. Eeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww, I don't like the job, no one does, but dealing with it last year in our own home, I learned what worked and what didn't. I made up business cards, worked with a salon that would allow me to use a sink they had. Not one call.

So, opening my own business isn't a good idea or at least from my perspective I do not believe it is.

I am a human resources person and I know how our unemployment office works, it is no big secret, they don't have jobs to offer, employers have jobs to offer. As an employer I would post a job through the unemployment web-site a day or two later someone from the office would contact me via Email and ask us to list our job at no cost with them, they in turn would screen applicants.

That's it folks, there are NO magic jobs out there, the unemployment office wants you to believe they have these jobs, but they contact employers and that is how it is done. With this in mind, I am not sure what they hope to accomplish, but I will play the game.

So, yesterday I am looking for work as I do everyday, spending hours on the internet and I find a local job and darn, my printer won't print. So, knowing my unemployment office very well keeps applications for employers in our area, I go down to pick one up. Nope, they don't have it, but someone should. They send a lady in search.

In the meantime, she delegates to someone else so she can come and tell me how to apply. You can't send an application in, you fill it out on line and Email it. No, you can't because they do not have Adobe set up to do that and they say to mail it. Well, you can't mail it, you have to come here and talk to a counselor first. No, I don't because your web-site sends me to their web-site which tells me to mail it in.

In the meantime, I am rescued by a lady who finds and copies me the application. What I want to know is this:
1- It is one of the largest employers in our area, why don't they keep copies of there application on hand?
2- How many state workers does it take to copy an application? Three! One to tell you at the counter they don't have it and good luck with the job you are applying for, the last person quit under pressure. One to spend less than 2 minutes locating the application and another to copy it because it wasn't the ladies job who found it to make copies.

Yes and they are going to help me find employment. Well, then again, they have jobs and I don't.
Something just isn't right!