Good experience with UI

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A few weeks ago, my restaurant closed. I've been unemployed for about three weeks.

Today, I attended the scheduled unemployment workshop.

I was surprised how humane the entire system was. I expected hurried and rude people shuttling people around like cattle, and found they were instead respectful and patient.

They offer stress management as well as interview skills workshops, with many temp services and technical training companies offering their services.

The workshop consisted of the following:

A 20 minute powerpoint presentation outlining the websites and locations of jobfinding services, career-training services, crisis (eviction prevention, foodstamps) services, resume-building workshops, and temp services. This was accompanied by a thick stack of material listing all the information given, as well as a feedback form. One receives a form which asks which specific workshops they wish to go to, what obstacles might hinder their job hunt, and (beforehand) a big list of skills one has.

After the powerpoint presentation, one gets called to speak to a worker one on one. They'll set the workshop appointments, go through one's paperwork and identify which skills are most valuable, and otherwise try to accommodate whatever obstacles one mentioned.

I had written that I lack a driver's license, have social anxiety, and poor nonverbal communication skills. My worker was able to extract a list of jobs for which a driver's license and car are not required, and gave me a list of not only the city workshops which deal with socialization, but some other places which may help with one's interview skills.

There was a large bulletin board covered with jobs available, most of which I could dismiss (rather depressingly) due to their requirement of a driver's license and own transportation. The computerized referral system by which one gets further contact information on these jobs will not even let you get this information unless you meet this requirement, even if the job would be fully accessibly by public transportation or is literally next door. This was the one rather annoying thing. The system would not allow you to even get the address and phone number of potential employers no matter what alternative transportation arrangements you possess.

When I asked about this, however, they pointed out that there is an alternative system specifically for those who have qualified for disabilities, which does take into account the inability to drive and such.

Overall, it was a good experience, and very helpful. I have not mentioned my diagnosis, for several reasons, so I unfortunately don't have much information for those who would go through this system with a disability qualification.

How does this compare to others' experience?

are you canadian or american? or from somewhere else?

Jamaican?

lol! i wanted to know cuz i work for EI in canada.

Where i live, you can apply for UI online.

The first time i had to go on UI, they required me to go downtown and register with job services in person.

These days, you can do that online too.

Around here you can request consultation but in my line of work they openly admit that they can't do a thing for me. They certainly don't offer anything in the way of stress management.

Just cash. And help finding a job if you're a tradesman or clerical worker.

US.

I applied online. Here, they schedule this mandatory workshop a few weeks into getting the benefits. Not showing up means they can suspend the benefits. I think there is a mandatory appointment of some sort every month or so, to make sure one has been applying to jobs and such.

we have mandatory information sessions, but people are randomly selected to be in them so not everyone has to do it. your sound very useful!

Ah. Utah is very hands-off. If they have any mandatory workshops i never heard about it.

The 2nd time i was on UI, they chose to audit my job search. This was back in 2007, and the market for what i do was pretty good, but gas prices were shooting up.

I was interviewing twice a week, and almost always the interviews were 40+ miles from home, and every place i interviewed voiced concerns about me only working there until i find a job with a shorter commute.

As it turns out, in utah, you not only get to do the job search audit online, they only audit the previous 21 days from when you fill out the form, and they give you (drumroll) 21 days to get around to filling it out.

Ultimately i was hired by a man who's commute is 18 miles worse than mine. Go figger. I'm still there.