The day that I was laid off work, I applied for unemployment. That is, a minimal amount of money will be sent to me each week by the state of Tennessee. I’ve collected unemployment checks twice in my life for less than a couple of months each time. I was always lucky enough to find a new permanent job before the benefits ran out.
I thought that I had everything in order since I applied on line. Last Sunday, I spent several hours trying to get certified for my first check. The system didn’t recognize me. Then when I finally was able to file a claim, I discovered that I was attempting to collect money for a week that I was employed. This is illegal. Ooops, I’ll try later.
Yesterday, I received a letter in the mail that told me I had failed to apply for Job Service, and that I would not receive any money unless I did this within seven days. What? I didn’t know. I found no mention of this requirement in the booklet I downloaded off the internet as instructed.
Quickly, I located my Tennessee Career Center nearest me and drove there to do whatever it was I had to do. I filled out a small piece of paper telling them that I had a degree. Oh, does this mean that I get to go to the head of the line? Do I get more money? I never found out what it meant unless it is for a statistic on those of us who are unemployed. Tennessee has over 160,000 registered unemployed workers.
I filled out a two-sided questionnaire, which asked me things such as did I have a car, what hours would I work, what industry I work in, etc. It’s often hard to explain what a print production director for a publisher of magazines or catalogs does to someone not in the industry. But I tried the best I could on the form. Then I sat at a Dell computer for a couple of hours before a career counselor could talk with me. I checked email and job listings to pass the time constructively.
Finally, I talked with a career counselor, who was well past the retirement age. He asked me the same questions that I had answered on the two-sided questionnaire, as did I have a car? He typed the answers with two fingers. He couldn’t figure out how to classify me in the system for an industry or an occupation. He gave me papers out of a briefcase about how to write a resume and a calendar of workshops to be held in December. The calendar just says workshop but offers no information as to what topic will be covered. Should I drive the 20-plus miles to attend a workshop on something I already know?
One sheet of paper he gave me that is helpful is a list of websites that list jobs. Some of the sites I’ve already bookmarked, but others I didn’t know. Apparently, the Career Center will contact me when a job becomes available that fits my classification. This is great, if the state can figure out what my classification is.
Now, can I get a check next week?
