Unemployment

I've been unemployed for 18 months now - it isn't like crossing days off a calendar until Christmas arrives or something like that - its open-ended. And I'm not sure Christmas will be the end result either.

But I want to share a few things that I've learned - nuts and bolts. Some may already know, but I'll post them.

-You can still work part-time and collect unemployment benefits. At least that is true in CT. 2/3 of the gross of your part-time job will be deducted from your unemployment benefits. See the ct department of labor web-site for more information.

-Volunteer. Although I'm not yet employed, I did land an interview because of my volunteering experience. Make sure that you put any volunteer experience on your resume. Its a way of showing prospective employers that you are actively in touch with your community during your unemployment. And no, I'm not too positive that viewing the 80 gazillion movies on Netflix qualifies as a valid volunteer experience.

-Education. Make sure you put any certifications, even courses that you attended at the local department of labor (CT Works, etc locations) such as resume writing, interviewing techniques, on your resume. It serves to show that you have been "doing something" during your unemployment.

Remember that you are not your job. There is so much more to us!

Some web-sites to type in your browser and investigate:

ONET

CT Department of Labor

There are free college courses online. You won't receive credit for them, but its an interesting way to investigate and learn - subjects range from Accounting to Religion and more. Yale, Stanford, etc are only a couple of colleges that offer these free courses. Just type in free college courses online in your browser.

Have a good day!!