Great Info Tips

First and foremost, check all references to the job. You will be able to find out information on the Internet, but please be cautious. Make sure you are willing to deal with the company before you decide for sure.

Most jobs can be searched and found easily. If the company is not listed on the Internet it is most likely a small one with only a few employees. In these times I would imagine most businesses have websites. When sending your resume with a cover letter, you may need to stress why you would be an asset to the company. Interviewers might ask why you want to work for the company. If you know something about the company you will be better off. Don’t volunteer that you know something. Let the interviewer ask first. That way you don’t come off as a pushy person.

Relax. Be yourself. Smile. A firm handshake and a nice hello. These are small things you can do to make the interview a little better for yourself. Above all, don’t be frightened when you go for the interview. Try to remain as calm as possible. And good luck.

Monday consisted of a trip to the local unemployment office to get my resume updated. I never thought that resume I took in would look so differently when we were done with it.  Years ago my resume consisted of  the following:  all jobs in the last 10 years listed with company, address, phone number and time worked there. I also listed what I was good at doing for each job and put my education at the end, above references upon request.

Not so, said the resume writer. Times have changed. Companies want to know what you can do for them. So the changes were made. List of the companies worked in the past 1o years first with name of company and years worked there. No address, names of supervisors.  Next came my accomplishments: what I was able to do for the company that previously employed me. Basically it’s really selling yourself to the company you want to hire you. I learned that I was no longer a customer service representative. Now I am a customer service expeditor! Wow! In talking to this resume writer I learned many other things about myself. I am an expert on different aspects of this type of job. Little did I know this when I worked at it for over 11 years! It amazed me that I was so knowledgeable in certain areas.

If you have not had the chance to update your resume in a while, I suggest you contact someone who is a resume writer. While I did this through the unemployment office and did not have to pay for it, I feel it’s well worthwhile to learn more about the new way of doing a resume. Imagine selling yourself to get a job.  Very different!

I am having a horrible time finding a decently priced health insurance that will accept me with Diabetes Type II. I keep running into walls. I am not eligible for many insurance programs since I have had diabetes for over 10 years. Just telling someone on the other end of  the phone that I am diabetic seems to put a black mark against me. And if you take insulin it must be worse since the person I am talking to seems to sigh softly. I am sure that is more of an objection.

I have spent a lot of time on the computer doing research and filling out information forms to even get to talk to someone about health insurance. While there are many companies out there I am finding high deductibles and high prices per month. I’m not too concerned about co-pays, but I do need to have a decent health insurance that will cover doctor visits, medications, lab work, and testing supplies.

In talking with the office staff at my primary doctor I learned the one company I had hoped to get insurance from was one she never heard of. Now I realize my doctor takes many different insurances, but having one that was never heard of rather unnerved me. I am not about to get involved with a company that could be a fly by night operation.

Calling my doctors’ offices will be my next move. Perhaps one of them can give me some insight as to what companies will be available. I am especially going to contact my endocrinologist as that one might give me a better idea of what health insurance companies will cover me with the diabetes.

I find it very frustrating to not be able to pick and choose like other people can. Having diabetes is bad enough, but to have someone tell me no when it comes to maintaining health insurance is disheartening. When I do find a company that will help me secure insurance I will be sure to let my readers know.

April 2nd, an ordinary day on the job. I was at the computer doing what I normally do when the boss asked to talk to me. Little did I know I was being terminated/downsized…my job was being eliminated due to restructuring of the company which had been taken over by a larger worldwide corporation just about 2 years prior. I was devastated to say the least. I was told I could either go home or work the rest of the day. My choice, but I would be paid for the time anyway. I also had the choice of finishing out the week or being paid for it. So I went home.

In tears I sat here waiting for my other half to arrive home from work. He wasn’t unhappy. In fact, he said it might be a blessing as I was under so much stress from the job that it was affecting my health. At that point I was still very upset and didn’t comprehend anything beyond the fact that I didn’t have a job to go to anymore and I wouldn’t have a decent paycheck coming in to help pay the bills.  We sat and talked about the situation and decided that I would not go back to work and finish out the week. They didn’t want me so why do them the favor of doing my job as usual.

The next morning I went in and got my personal things out of my desk. I said goodbye to my coworkers in the office.  I heard them say they would keep in touch. Out of 5 only 2 have called me, one that Monday night to make sure I was all right since I was so upset. Shows you what kind of people I worked with.

I did get severance pay, will get a check for any vacation and sick time I hadn’t used, and the company is paying for 2 months of health insurance. However, I lost my life insurance the last day I worked.  This also bothers me, since being diabetic complicates a lot of things.

Searching for a decent health insurance has been the major setback for me. I never realized how much companies must pay and why we have paid for part of the health insurance. I am finding rates over $150 per month, some as high as being in the range of $500 a month for 1 person with no dependents.  There are also very high deductibles on these insurance policies. I have gotten information and estimates from at least 3 of the major health insurance plans only to find that I may not be able to afford them at all.  I need to sit down and go over my monthly bills to decide just what I can afford.  Perhaps this is one reason why there are so many people who do not have health insurance in the U.S.  It’s given me headaches trying to find the needed information.  I get frustrated at times when I don’t seem to get anywhere with some of  the people I am dealing with online and on the telephone.

Being almost 62 I do have the option of retiring early, which would mean a reduction in the rate that I would get per month from Social Security.  If  I  work until I am 66 , just 4 years from now, the amount of Social Security would go up about $350 per month. There is so much to consider that I keep finding myself going around in circles trying to decide just what to do.  Of course, I did file for unemployment…that’s a joke in itself.

Pennsylvania unemployment funds are going down, so my first payment was 10% off for taxes and 2.3 % off for BENEFIT REDUCTION (when there isn’t a lot of money in the fund account). Wish I had known that because I didn’t get the amount I was told I would get.  That led me to do more online research to find out just what happened. The government might think they are helping us “poor unemployed”, but to me it was like a knife in my back.

Checking for a job the 3rd week you are unemployed is now required. You need to list all places you searched for work. You go by some criteria:  distance to travel and amount you made at your last job.  My searches on Monster and Career Link pulled up nothing.  No jobs in my area. I didn’t really think there would be at this time.

Who would want to hire me for the amount I made? At my age? I’m qualified for a few different positions so I can be versatile in what type of job I look for, however, the old saying THERE’S NOTHING OUT THERE came to mind this afternoon when Monster stated “no jobs fit your criteria”.

I will admit that I actually do feel better – my stress level is down, blood sugars are better (more in the range they should be) and I am getting more exercise now that I am not sitting at a desk all day. The headaches I would constantly get are gone. Even my chiropractor told me I am not so much out of alignment now. Perhaps this was a good omen for me, but it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. How I would love to sit here and rattle off a very nasty letter to the CEO about the treatment I got on the job. Complaining about different things that happened while I was working. But would that do me any good? It might get things off my chest, but it won’t help me find another job or health insurance.

I know I am not the only one out there who falls into this category. Perhaps we can help each other. I don’t want to sit here and mope all day. I have kept myself busy and been  in touch with the good friends I have. I also keep a notebook next to the computer and write down each day who I talk to and where I called. I may need to refer back to this notebook at times, which I have found I do quite often. Keeping records helps keep your mind in better control of the situation.

Did the company do me a favor? Would I have gotten even worse with more stress each month? I really can’t say. I just know I will never ever refer anyone I know to that company.   While I am still angry over losing the job I really liked and got paid well for, I am still wondering if indeed it was my age that was also a factor. You see, my friend Dee also got laid off. She’s almost retirement age. The younger coworkers are still in the office. But there is no way to prove this and the company will deny it, of course.

I intend to keep updating this section of my blog, letting others know what I have found. I do research daily right now. It’s the only thing that helps me to deal with my lack of a job. I consider the research as my current job…one I am doing for myself.

Congratulations to Beyonce and her man.  They are now parents of a sweet baby girl. But I do wonder how that child will feel as she grows up with such a strange name? I have often thought of this when I hear anyone , not just celebrities, naming a new baby with weird names.

I would love to hear from my readers on this one. How about some of  the names of the past? I thought Oprah was strange, but then again how about some of the ones we’ve heard in the past years? Apple for a little girl. How does she feel now that she’s older? I know there are boys with some strange names, too, but most of those are playing baseball and football it seems. They have gone above their given names.

Do you have a strange name? Or one with an unusual spelling? If so, what reason did your parents give you when you inquired about your name? I know I was named for a movie star my Mother liked a the time.  And my brothers also. I guess my parents had no imagination as we all have what are called “common” names.  Is having an unusual name a good thing or a bad one? Comments anyone???