finding the motivation to apply for jobs

my situation is this:

i'm currently unemployed and receiving unemployment benefits from the government in the amount of about $350/week (after a small amount is taken for taxes). my benefits will run out in early september of this year.

minimum wage here is $10.25/hour (or something close to there, it has been changing a lot lately), and i don't expect to earn much more than that since i haven't completed any sort of education or training programs. i plan on either going back to school or completing a pre-apprenticeship program in september.

i've been applying to jobs, but i must admit that i've been fairly half-assed about it. the reason is this - if i get a full-time (40 hours/week) job making minimum wage, i'm not really any better off then if i were to just sit on unemployment insurance until september. 40 hours x $10.25 = $410 before taxes. after taxes, cpp (canada pension plan), and ei (employment insurance) deductions i doubt i will even clear the $350 i'm making now.

i'm really hoping to find a job that will pay me cash so that i can justify going back to work, but jobs are hard to come by right now and i don't think it's going to work out. i do get some temp work for cash, but it tends to be sporadic (once or twice/month) so it isn't really something i can rely on.

has anyone else been in this situation? should i feel guilty if i just do nothing until going back to school in september?

 

rather than do nothing, learn a transferable skill until you decide to go back to school or find a FT position

you can volunteer

or something else...but doing something is always better than just sitting around doing nothing while collecting unemployment bennies

 

Meh, if getting a job would HURT you financially, don't do it, until you go to school.

I thought being on unemployment made you inelligible for lots of stuff, and subject to random house call checkups, but maybe I'm wrong.

It's kind of stupid that you can make better money doing nothing than having a job. I wouldn't mind a social insurance net, so if someone's really too fucking lazy to work they won't starve, but they shouldn't live at even the minimum wage level, imo....

Do what works best for you. Maybe you can get a part time job and still get benefits, at a slightly reduced ratio?

One way or another, if you're doing nothing, spend your time well and try to be putting money away.

 

i'm supposed to be able to provide them with 'proof' that i've applied to jobs, but i've never heard of anyone actually getting asked for any documentation, or even getting a phonecall or a letter about it.

i had actually forgotten until you mentioned this, but i am able to make ~$150 before they start reducing my benefit payments, so a part-time job makes more sense for me right now. this is obviously assuming that i plan on going to school in september, otherwise it makes sense to take a full-time job if offered, since the job market is pretty poor right now and there are no guarentees that i'll be able to find anything closer to september when my benefits run out.

 

Take a trip somewhere and have fun before September! =]

 

Do you have any options as far as government assistance for schooling? Pick up a new trade that would pay you better than a minimum wage gig?

 

the government will offer assistance if you're training for a job that is 'in demand' in my area. this mostly consists of trades, from that i can figure out, so if i decide to go down that road there are some programs that can help out. the canadian government, despite many faults, has a lot of good social assistance programs to help people get back on their feet.

 

So... take advantage.

If your benefits run out and you don't have a job, because you didn't feel like one before they ran out.... well you fucked yourself, despite the help they gave, didn't you?

Try to find a job that you can do training for and get a part time salary, and then go full time right before benefits run out?

 

i most likely will take advantage of it, it's called the 'second career' program or something like that, i think.

it's hard to make a decision between university and trade-school/apprenticeship though. i'll probably end up trying to get into a pre-apprentice program in the end, since going to university would be more of a pursuit of knowledge type experience than anything practical.

 

Look into HVAC, always work as folks are either too hot or too cold and need folks to fix that for them via. installs or repairs. And the pay isnt too shabby usually. Theres also a pretty big variety of areas you could work in, just think of all the beer coolers and freezer units at outdoor music fests and such. :cheers2:

And keep in mind, a tech. certification gained in 1 year can still pay your way through a more traditional school down the road "once you decide what you wanna' do when you grow up" (I'm still workin' on that part myself. lol)

 

HVAC is in huge demand here, and i've thought about it. they're so desperate for people that they are incorporating HVAC programs into high-schools now.

 

Going back to school is always a great option.

 

job i do now,,, piece of paper in my room, i filled it out,, got a call,, go to place,,, get paid a million billion dollars to play with water in a garden and be my self

 

:2thumbsup:

 

I am literally in the same boat as you!

What I plan on doing is finding a part time job or a 3/4 time job and going back to school while doing some odd jobs (I clean houses, etc) for people to make extra cash. I have a few potential under-the-table gigs lined up, I just need to get off unemployment because its going to run out for the 2nd time so I'll get less next time.

I think you should figure out all of your finances and what you NEED money for and find a job to give you what you'll need...go to school but don't overdo it with work/school overload. If you stay at the job, you'll obviously get raises and whatnot in order to help you out a little ways down the road and you can start building more off of that in your life.

 

I would get a job, depending on where you work it might turn into something else you didn't expect and might enjoy. I know all of our situations are different but I refuse to ask the government for support. Its a mistake I think will all catch up with us. They want to give you money so they choose your standard of living. Its tough right now, you just gotta go get what you want and fight fight fight. Now days its you gotta fight even more. Paradise is over, so choose what you want in your pockets. Might takes months, even years, but goals never come quick.





Listen to the song. Its great motivation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yr733VC-HE"]YouTube - ‪C-Mob - Fly Away‬‏

 

i'm sorry, but i don't believe that either of you is literally in a boat, let alone sitting next to each other conversing on matching laptops while ignoring the sea beneath you.

 

umm I believe we are...:2thumbsup: