Tom's Journal

Joel, when you walk into, call, or contact by internet any state job service/unemployment office, you are VALUABLE to any employee who deals with you. Answer your e-mail? Essentially, I get a point. Get your signature on a sign-in sheet? 2 points. Take your claim? 25 points. Get you to register in the state job system? 25. Talk with you about your qualifications-- that's assessment. Wow. 50 points. Discuss the local labor market with you, another 25. But only if I have you on file, can attach those services to your computerized file, with your SSN on it (validated with the Feds on my computer), and your work authorization if you're an alien and confirm the alien work authorization with the Federal database. Review your resume? Another 20 points. Refer you to a veteran's counselor, 10 points, to food stamps, 10 points, etc etc etc. If I don't provide services, I'm out of a job. When you walk in, everyone in the office not already working with a client should be falling over their feet to help you, get to know you, get you to come back again next week. Would you like to take an aptitude test? Sign up for an interviewing workshop? Talk to an employment counselor? Fill out a college application, job training application, fuel assistance app, get a FAFSA, apply for WIC? POINTS. f you don't tell us when you get a job, we'll still check new hire reports and wage records through WRIS for all states and territories for 3 years and hope your number comes up as a hire, because I can get credit for that, or at least the most recent government employee, in any state, who provided you a service can. Hey-- with a BA and some customer service experience you, too, can qualify to train as an employment interviewer, $24,132 a year to start and state benefits. Or you can take on the years of training to become a certifying officer/adjudicator to determine if people are qualified to receive unemployment; that starts at around $26,000. If you get enough service points, you'll even get to keep your job. If you're good, you may even get promoted. And if you can't connect with the clients, get validated SSNs on file, document services, you're GONE.