CAREERS NOW 07-15-09

10 Tips When Your Unemployment Checks Stop

DEAR JOYCE: After nearly six months of unemployment checks, my parents are still keeping my family afloat but I don't know what to do next. I'm already working my network hard. No jobs out there. Ideas? - T.D.

About half of the people receiving unemployment insurance are running out of benefits before they get new jobs - even more worrisome, their numbers are expected to swell between now and September.

You already know it seems to take forever to find jobs today, an average of well over six months. When you're about to run dry on unemployment benefits, the first thing to do is find out if you've got a shot at getting them extended (see: job-hunt.org; scroll for State Employment Offices). Always ask for an extension!

Additionally, don't allow false pride to keep you from reaching for a helping hand from government or social service agencies. Need help putting food on the table? Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the new name for the federal Food Stamp Program. Get information by state with a list of hotline numbers (usda.gov; search for snap hotlines). To identify resources in many communities, try calling the three-digit phone number 211, a referral service to supportive local organizations.

To land a bridge job that could morph into long-term employment, reflect on whether any of these 10 smart moves are right for you:

1. When you're facing the "overqualified" curse, substitute skills for status and redo your resume from a reverse chronological to a functional format (browse "functional resume samples").

2. Use free public library resources, from newspaper help-wanted ads to computers to job search workshops and job clubs. Ask staff how to set up free e-mail accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) and apply for jobs, saving your resumes and cover letters online by using Google Docs.

3. Check out the entire range of offerings at a government One-Stop Career Center near you (servicelocator.org). In addition to job search help, the center may have suggestions of local organizations that can lend a hand with basic necessities.

4. Sign up with staffing agencies for temp assignments. Yes, the number of temp jobs is still headed downward but the rate of decline has slowed in some locales.

5. Make a direct-application tour of your expanded neighborhood. Dress presentably, and apply to all appealing businesses within walking distance. Leave a super one-page generic resume, similar to one you would leave at a job fair. Say you'd like to stay in touch and ask politely about the best way to follow up.

6. Consider volunteering, if you can afford to do so, as a way of showcasing your skills and expanding your network (browse "volunteer organizations" followed by the name of your city).

7. If you're uncomfortable in a digital world, ask your kid, a relative or neighborhood teenager to help you crack the barrier. Start with LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com. Don't stop trying if you don't master online job hunting overnight -it takes practice.

8. Consider fresh education, starting at local colleges and schools. Research to find a program with good hiring omens, such as teaching childhood special education. Otherwise, you risk being left with more debt and no job to pay it off.

9. Look at quick training upgrades (browse "short-term training options"). If you've exhausted your benefits, you may be eligible for government retraining benefits to change careers (servicelocator.org), but remember that the programs don't cover most living expenses.

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