Why I'm Freaked

I made mention the other day of not feeling good mentally. Well, here’s the deal on that. I’m starting to get really freaked out about not having a job. I’ve figured out that my unemployment benefits will only last for 6 months. I calculated how much school will cost, and I don’t have enough money to not work for the next 6 months, pay for school, and not work while going to school. I’m also getting tired of having to account for where every single penny goes. I’ve always hated sticking to a budget!

I have been looking for another engineering job to take until I can get into school, but the offers aren’t exactly flooding in. I am starting to seriously consider taking a job, any job, just to have some money coming in. I guess one thing that kept me from doing that before is that I would have to get a job paying more than $10 an hour to make more than unemployment, and I don’t think those jobs are just lying around for anyone to have. I figured that if I couldn’t make more than unemployment benefits, why bother. I’ve learned a little bit more about the nature of the benefits, and there is a pool of money that they draw from, not a time frame. So, you can still have a part time job without completely losing benefits. It will reduce the benefit payout, but it will also extend the length of time to receive benefits. So I could either not work at all and run out of benefits in April, or work some and possibly extend the benefits a few more weeks or months depending on how much money I earn. That may be six of one, a half-dozen of the other.

Now, all this said, I do have a job interview for an engineering job coming up on Tuesday. This will be my first interview since I have been unemployed. It’s not a company that I would be all that excited about working for, and it doesn’t fit my long term career plans, but it could be a good bridge until I get into school.

I’m not sure the world is ready for JC the waiter. We may have to find out though!