I Gotta Turn Around Again!?!?!

So it's been about a week since I've decided to blog about my endless mission
to find a job. Oh no no no, I'm still unemployed and still looking so you'll continue to see me post my exciting journey's throughout Atlanta as I search for employment.
The past week has been much of the same - interviews with agencies. It's not so bad because when you have nothing you almost look to every source imaginable to find employment. So this morning was no different. I left my house about an hour before the interview to give myself plenty of time to get lost, get back on track and get lost again trying to find the right building to go into. If you know anything about Atlanta traffic, it's unpredictable, even at 10:00 in the morning. I'm like, good grief, does anyone work, because there were so many cars on the road. So I'm headed in the direction of Lenox Mall and I'm checking out the scenery because there is so much development over there. I'm getting motivated because on the left I could see myself living in that nice new high rise, on the right I could see myself walking to that new shopping center as I exit my new high rise on the left and in front me I could see myself dining at that nice restaurant after I left the shopping center on my right, that I walked to from my nice new high rise condo on the left. Ahhhh, the life.....errrrr. Time to focus again. So as I'm passing the mall (bummer), I'm using my GPS to guide me and my little blue ball (for those that have upgraded to the iPhone) is rolling along and I'm getting closer to my destination. So far so good, right? Wrong. I'm still driving, look down and DANGIT my GPS tracker ball has rolled all off course and into the unknown a few blocks away from my destination. So I politely look both ways and make a nice Georgia U-turn to get back on track - never fails. I find the building no thanks to any signage and pull into the parking garage. I was warned ahead of time that the company does not validate parking tickets so atleast I was prepared there. Now that I'm in the parking garage I get all turned around trying to find the visitor parking that last longer than 30 mins. I just knew 30 mins wasn't going to be enough and if it was, they were not working on my behalf. Aha, I find 2 hour parking - awe man, it's for another company. So I back out (again) and keep rolling until I find parking that is NOT reserved, 30 minutes, or in a spot so far away I can't find my way out when I'm done. I finally find a spot, back in and start my journey toward the building. Whoa, where the hell is the exit. Clearly it has to be around here somewhere because there are tons of cars and everyone is not still wandering the garage looking for the out. So I see a stairwell ahead but because I'm a little leery of creepy stairwells I hesitate but go for it because why.....I have to get a job. Thankfully it was clean and well lit from the outside natural light, however I didn't see anything that looked like and out or access to a building. Uturn!! I go back in the parking garage and ask the parking attendant, who was ever so rudely talking on the phone when I walked up with no acknowledgement to me, where I needed to go to enter the building.
By now I'm a pro at finding my way to these agencies which are usually in a high rise, on the 11th floor down the hall and behind double glass doors. Talk about Fort Knox. So I'm expecting to walk into a Federal Reserve looking building go the 2nd set of elevators for floors 11 - 34 and waltz my way to the top. Slow your roll shorty, the office is just after I get off the elevators and very convenient to the deli in case I'm overwhelmed and hungry when I'm finished (that happens often). So the interview goes well and I'm on my way out again. No mind you my sense of direction isn't the best (so boasts my boyfriend) so you would think I would remember or mark where I parked my car. Luckly for me I got it in the 1st shot; after hitting the lock button on my remote a few times. Shhhh....

Get Ready, get set....Go Go Go to Unemployment

It was 7:30 Monday morning and I pulled in to the drive of the Dept of Labor office holding my breath as I turned the corner toward the building execting to see tons of cars and a line. Well, much to my surprise, there were fewer than expected cars and...WHAT...no line outside. Hallalujah, the day was off to a good start!! As I started my way up to the big double doors that would open into my new reality, I saw a sign with hours posted that said they opened at 7:30am. Well, well, had I known that I would have been there at 7:15. My advice, call the office ahead of time to see what time they open or get there super early and be surprised just like me. Luckly there was no line inside or out so I walked right up to the counter. Again, my day was full of pleasantries - the gentleman who helped me was very nice and serviceable and greeted me with a smile. That always helps. One thing I can't stand is poor customer service. That's the last thing I needed especially walking into this new world of uncertainly I was about to embark upon.
I was given a piece of paper to fill out all the necessary information to get unemployment and asked to take a seat until my name was called. Make sure you take all paperwork from your employer with you. You will need it. Also take a blank check or your bank account information for direct deposit. Don't worry, you'll still get paid if you get it by mail, but this could take 5 - 10 days to get compared to 1 -2. Who has time for that.
As I'm waiting for my name to be called I'm formulating tons of questions in my head because once again...I'm clueless to this process. Not to worry though, my DOL office had an orientation which answered some of my questions, so hopefully your's will too. If not, ask for a handbook or check out the link on my blogspot; or my alltime fav, just Google it!!
At orientation they gave us the dates in which to "certify" This is basically the dates that you MUST call in to receive pay for that week. If you fail in this mission you could risk not getting paid. So add a reminder to your calendar, put a sticky on your forehead whatever you need to do to remember this time period. One thing I learned, and here's the bummer bad news part of this, is that the process to review and complete my file for eligibility is atleast 14 days. So basically, is that I have to watch my account stay absolutely completely stagnant or steadily deplete from paying bills for the next 2 weeks. Ugh... Atleast that's the process where I live. Hopefully yours is shorter but be sure and ask. This is money we're talking about - not to be played with.
After a 15 minute orientation, it was now time to fill out our applications online. Be very careful with the information you enter. Make sure you are truthful and accurate because you don't want to risk messing up your paycheck. This took me what seemed like an hour because I didn't want to mess up on my new ramen noodle and hotdog paycheck.
When I finished my application the lady who did the final review was not at her desk, so I went to the main desk and asked what to do next, and I was told to wait until she came out because my process was not complete until she did the final check. I'm sure someone made the mistake of leaving, but don't let that be you. If you need final clearance before leaving, be sure and get that. We don't need any more upsets in this juncture of our journey.
So at 9:30am (not bad huh), I was a free woman to begin campaigning towards getting a job.

NEXT!!!

After mulling through all my paperwork on Sunday to file for unemployment I had to face reality - I was about to pull a ticket, stand in line, and wait to be greeted by a disgruntled, distressed, government worker with a hairy mole and salty breath shouting "NEXT".
The night before, I went online to get directions and hours for the unemployment office that was not only close to my house, but one in which I could get in/out of easily with as little struggle as possible. Since I live in a major metro city I knew NOT to go the downtown location or face chalking up my entire day to looking at wood paneling, old blue and dusty rose carpet feeling slightly out of place because I just knew I would never see this place. Afterall, unemployment numbers just came out and it looks as though it's beginning to stablize. We must be starting to crawl from under all this mud. So, as suspected the office opens at 8:00am. I've already mentally prepared myself to be there at 7:30 just to get ahead of the much anticipated long line that will form.

Not me....Never

Well here I am, living the life I never imagined for myself - unwillingly unemployed. If you're like me, you're reading this on your couch or in the comfort of your own home, in your jammies or comfort clothes thinking "I should be getting ready for work tomorrow." That was my reality until one day that all changed.

As of Friday, August 7, 2009 I was officially unemployed. I've always worked for Fortune 500 companies as a Financial Analyst/Accountant and was on a fast track toward a successful career. My last job positioned me in a place in which I could have the opportunity to manage employees (whoo scary) and gain all kinds of knowledge about the business to best position myself for upward growth. I was a part of a start up team designed to centralize and systemize Accounting effort across the business. Helloooo....team expansion & strategic alliance here I come!!! Headed towards making close to 6-figures, I was doing well for myself. Great job, nice place to live in a good part of town, reliable car (gotta be a Honda, ofcourse), the ability to stuff my face at nice restaurants, and the comfort of jet-setting if I so choose. So I'm thinking life can only go up, let's make this thing happen. Errrrrrrrkkkkkkk....my world came to a screeching halt at 10:00am Friday morning, when I was politely escorted out of the building. No I didn't cause a scene and go kicking and screaming all the way out the door, although I had some choice words for my former boss, it's company policy that HR walk you down.
Life as I knew it was now sitting on my couch watching Soap Opera's, HGTV and Oprah, thinking what the heck do I do now.