Relief and frustration

After what seemed like an endless back and forth, I finally started getting unemployment benefits this week. There was even a last minute snafu because there had been a data entry error at the TWC with my birthdate, so I was unable to activate my benefits card when it came in the mail and it took TWO DAYS of calling every hour to finally get through to them to get somebody to actually answer the phone and correct it.

There is a huge sense of relief that I finally am getting some money (my last payday was March 15th), but I’m not out of the woods yet. I have definitely been frustrated with the job search. And not just for myself, but also for the restrictions placed on it. In order to get benefits, the Texas Workforce Commission requires proof of 5 job searches a week.

Now, my job experience has been fairly unique and filled a niche. I spent 12 years at a radio station that wasn’t like any other radio station out there. On the plus side, I had to wear many hats. Over the years, I did a lot of things that a normal Music Director probably wouldn’t have to do. I know I was good at my job and, as I’ve said countless times, I am so proud of the work I did at WOXY…but when you’re faced with starting over, it can be overwhelming.

There are honestly not 5 positions that I can find locally each week that make sense for me to apply for (in terms of a career). This means that, to fulfill this requirement, I’m forced to apply for positions outside of the state to find openings that fit my experience. So, the TWC is basically paying unemployment to push me out of the state. Doesn’t make much sense to me. To compare and contrast, I previously lived in Kentucky which pays more in weekly benefits and requires proof of 2 job searches a week.

For all my frustration, I’m just ready to push things forward.