Get a job, ya bum!

Well, the interview yesterday was incredible. I was there for three hours, had the system I'd be using explained to me, met my fellow PAs, and talked with the hiring manager/my potential manager.

We got along really well (I mean, three hours, c'mon), and I think this would be an incredible opportunity to be on the ground floor of an established show, on a studio lot, with eventual room to grow.

It would beat the pants off of going with another small production company that will implode less than a year after I come on board. I have worked at two different companies since my move to California, both of which went out of business within a year. I've only lived in California for two years.

I hope this works out, because I am starting to feel a little like a curse, frankly.

In other news, I got my unemployment information. I'll be getting just under $300 a week, which I could kinda maybe live off of, we'll see. I got the claim form today, which I'm not supposed to mail in yet. My biggest question on the whole thing is, I need to prove I've looked for work during the claim period. No problem, I have emails and a whole excel spreadsheet documenting almost every job I've applied for. But they only give me like 10 lines on the back of the sheet to prove it. Well, I apply for more than 10 jobs in any given week, and often more than that on a given day. How do I prove that I'm really trying? Something worth investigating next week.

So the first full week of unemployment has actually been relatively productive. Got my chair, got an interview, got some naps in, got some job applications in. I'd say I got quite a bit done.

Onward then.

Sometimes, You Can Work Too Hard

So after all my fussing and planning to dive into work hard core this week, something strange happened.

I worked on my website, resume, and social networking sites for a short smattering of time today, updating some outdated things, and generally spiffing everything up for the inevitable onslaught of searching and applying I'm going to do.

But then I decided to take a nap. I stayed up late watching Zombieland (awesome movie by the way), and I'm still working on sticking with a 9-5 schedule to be a more effective job searcher.

Towards the end of the nap, my phone rang. It was a phone interview for what would be a sweet gig as a PA on show that would really take me places. I sat up, hit mute on the TV, and ran for the precious chair of productivity. Twenty minutes later, I have an interview set for Thursday.

I'm looking to hopefully nail it and get straight to work.

Preparing for the Long Haul

After a relaxing Fourth of July weekend during which I didn't accomplish much of anything in terms of work, save for doing laundry and introducing myself as unemployed to everyone I met at the family block party, I spent today preparing to get biz-ay during the week.

First of all, I had no chair for my desk. When I moved in, my room came with a desk that my roommate didn't want to use anymore. I filled it with paperwork, books and other stuff right away, fully intending to buy a chair for it, right after I bought a bed to go with the mattress I had. Neither was bought for a solid year. I still have no bed frame to for my mattress, BUT, I have my chair. As far as I'm concerned, chair=productivity. You can't be productive in your job search and networking sitting on the couch or lounging on your mattress on the floor.

Behold!

And for full effect:


With that in place, I am confident in my abilities to get up at a reasonable hour, apply for work, network, and continue to write and post on this and my other blog.

Yes, being unemployed is as exciting as it sounds.

Live Blog! Applying for Unemployment

I tried to apply online last night for unemployment, but it won't let me because I didn't receive some kind of paperwork and my case will need "special attention." I just emailed my accountant/HR lady (who is really nice and helpful) to figure out what I'm missing. But while I wait to hear from her and because I want my dole money ASAP, join me won't you as I sit on the phone trying to get through.

So far I've been kicked off once due to call volume, so let's see how it goes second time around.

12:18 On the line with the extended benefit cut off explanation. Waiting for my chance to start pressing numbers.

12:21 They hung up on me without letting me get to the press 1 press 2 section. Boo!

12:22 It's on. Dialing again!

12:22 and a half Offered the press 1 for English, all right, that's a good sign (it happened on the first call and I got to further menus).

12:23 Extension benefit cut off explanation part three! The re-denial-ing.

12:24 So close, sick of being offered the internet option when it won't let me!

12:25 To file a claim, press 1 !

12:26 Monitored for quality assurance, hot damn!

12:26 and a half No! Denied again! This is so damn annoying!

12:27 Attack four! You get the idea now

12:28 Whoops, hit the wrong button got sent to the wrong automated department.

12:29 Take 5! I'm tempted to continue in Spanish one time just for the hell of it.

12:31 Thank God for the America's Next Top Model marathon on Bravo, it's making this a bit more bearable.

12:34 Take 6!

12:35 I tried clicking yes to receiving the paperwork it asked for, just to see what would happen, and it still told me that I'd need to call for help.

12:36 OH. MY. GOD. I was clicking the wrong answer the whole time when I asked if I had worked in another state. Jeez, that's embarrassing!

Well, so much for the live blog part! Stay tuned for the results of my application in ten days!

What the?...

Well, I'm unemployed. As of 6pm today, I am without a job, on the dole, whatever you want to call it.

So, I decided to start this blog about the quest to find employment and to fill my time with other things to keep myself from going crazy.

I did the most logical thing first: applied for unemployment. Three questions into the online form, I was told my case would need "special handling" and I'd have to call in for help. Well, great, as I've heard that I could be on the phone forever tomorrow. But that sounds like another blog post to me, don't you think?

The second thing I did was buy food like I was getting ready for a zombie apocalypse. Now, I needed groceries to begin with, but I didn't need to "stock up" as I kept telling myself, especially since it's not like I'll never be able to buy food again. I will get unemployment, I'll find work, and everything will be fine.

But I better buy two boxes of Bunny Grahms just in case.