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[msedc]

Here's the scenario.

I am a Ph.D. in STEM who was working for the last few years as a full-time faculty, now unemployed but eligible for unemployment (applied on-line and a determination was made). I'm in Ohio, USA

How does this work if I have a tenure track job lined up starting in the fall in another state .. our work as faculty is somewhat seasonal, who would hire a faculty member for one semester, esp starting sometime in February?

What do I do? Write to local universities randomly to show that I'm trying to get a job? (It took forever to land a TT job, so I am 99% sure there won't be a full-time visiting position for this spring available, simply too late). Do I have to apply for part time jobs? As waiter etc too?

Sorry, this is totally out of my realm of experience, my knowledge of this is based only on friends who were in non-academic/non-seasonal type jobs. Searching the fora didn't yield any answers. I tried contacting the unemployment office by phone/e-mail, didn't work .. I will look and see if I can find their office, in the meantime I was hoping someone here could share some information/experiences.

[corny]

Msedc, are you asking what you can do to make some money between now and the time your TT position begins in the fall?

You can look for adjunct work - teaching one or two classes, not a full-time visiting position - at colleges / universities in your area. There is quite a bit of discussion of this on the fora. However, you're right that you may be too late to find something for the spring term. Take a look at the websites of schools in your area to see what their academic calendar looks like - but people do sometimes hire adjuncts right up till the last minute, if the need is there.

Otherwise, you may need to try to piece together some non-academic work for a few months, yes.

Perhaps others will have other suggestions, as well.

[msedc]

Msedc, are you asking what you can do to make some money between now and the time your TT position begins in the fall?

For me to get unemployment I have to show that I'm trying to find a job, so I am trying to just figure out what the acceptable practices/parameters for this are.

If I apply only for teaching positions but don't land some, then I should qualify for unemployment benefits. I'm just wondering if I have to try for other jobs too which aren't teaching? I could get by with just the unemployment benefits for the spring, so I just want to make sure I qualify. I'll be all set with a new permanent job in the fall.

You can look for adjunct work - teaching one or two classes, not a full-time visiting position - at colleges / universities in your area. There is quite a bit of discussion of this on the fora. However, you're right that you may be too late to find something for the spring term. Take a look at the websites of schools in your area to see what their academic calendar looks like - but people do sometimes hire adjuncts right up till the last minute, if the need is there.

Otherwise, you may need to try to piece together some non-academic work for a few months, yes.

Perhaps others will have other suggestions, as well.

Thanks for the ideas, I appreciate them and have started to look already. I know in some cases the adjunct will end up paying less than the unemployment which makes this less than appealing. I'm so totally not in the know about this situation .. glad it's only temporary (till fall)

[corny]

Msedc, are you asking what you can do to make some money between now and the time your TT position begins in the fall?

For me to get unemployment I have to show that I'm trying to find a job, so I am trying to just figure out what the acceptable practices/parameters for this are.

If I apply only for teaching positions but don't land some, then I should qualify for unemployment benefits. I'm just wondering if I have to try for other jobs too which aren't teaching? I could get by with just the unemployment benefits for the spring, so I just want to make sure I qualify. I'll be all set with a new permanent job in the fall

Ah, I see what you mean. First of all, this is going to vary by state, so the best answer is probably (as you suggested earlier) to check directly with your unemployment office. That said, my SO is actually in the midst of filing for unemployment right now, and the impression I've gotten is that the unemployment office wants him to apply for a minimum number of jobs per week regardless of whether those jobs are in his field or not. They care about you having a paycheck, period. So if your state's rules are similar to ours, then I think you would need to apply for non-academic jobs IF you can't meet the minimum (here it is 2 applications per week) by applying for teaching jobs.

[litdawg]

California's rules expect that your search will be limited to positions appropriate to your skills and education. In other words, you don't need to prove you are looking for waitressing jobs, just academic ones. You should be fine looking for adjunct work and other TT jobs between now and when your new job (congrats!) starts if your state is like CA.  But talk to the relevant agency in your state to be sure. Or a union representative at a nearby college.

[ruralguy]

First of all...there is a middle ground between burger flipping/waiting tables and being an adjunct (I did some tutoring when I was unemployed, but that was 16 years ago now). You may have to find such work, so be aware of it.

In any case, even if you didn't seriously pursue such jobs, you could always submit a resume, and then just get on with serious pursuit of academic jobs.

[paulsa]

My understanding is that if you have a contract for a new TT job lined up in the fall--as you do--then you have already fulfilled the requirement to seek employment and are simply seeking unemployment benefits while you are between jobs. The limit imposed on this will be the duration of your eligibility to collect those benefits. Of course, the only people who can give you a definitive answer about this are at the unemployment office.

If you are required to apply for jobs, but all you really want is the benefits though (since you've already got a job lined up), it shouldn't be too hard to send out unrealistic applications just to fulfill the requirement. And hey, if Microsoft decides to make you their new CEO, maybe you won't take that TT job in the fall after all.

[msedc]

My understanding is that if you have a contract for a new TT job lined up in the fall--as you do--then you have already fulfilled the requirement to seek employment and are simply seeking unemployment benefits while you are between jobs. The limit imposed on this will be the duration of your eligibility to collect those benefits. Of course, the only people who can give you a definitive answer about this are at the unemployment office.

Ah .. that's great, yes, I was really hoping for this .. I will definitely follow up with this.

If you are required to apply for jobs, but all you really want is the benefits though (since you've already got a job lined up), it shouldn't be too hard to send out unrealistic applications just to fulfill the requirement. And hey, if Microsoft decides to make you their new CEO, maybe you won't take that TT job in the fall after all.

Good point -- thanks!

[dr_know]

I just filed a couple of weeks ago.  I was surprised to see that in my state (in the South), all we do call or go online and answer a few questions about whether we looked for work and are we able to and available for work.  I honestly am looking, but I don't see how they verify that.  Now I understand where the fraud comes in.

[msedc]

California's rules expect that your search will be limited to positions appropriate to your skills and education. In other words, you don't need to prove you are looking for waitressing jobs, just academic ones. You should be fine looking for adjunct work and other TT jobs between now and when your new job (congrats!) starts if your state is like CA.  But talk to the relevant agency in your state to be sure. Or a union representative at a nearby college.

Ok, this may sound like a silly question, but in terms of looking for job for this process, would it be sufficient for me to contact the HR department of the various places and lay out my qualifications and type of job I would be suited for, or do I have to ferret out actual positions and apply directly for them?

Sometimes jobs aren't really posted, and employers can make a better determination where ones skills might fit.

So would the unemployment office object to me contacting only HR offices to look for jobs? ..

I wish it was fall and I could get on with my new job ... (I know I'm very fortunate to have something lined up)

[msedc]

I just filed a couple of weeks ago.  I was surprised to see that in my state (in the South), all we do call or go online and answer a few questions about whether we looked for work and are we able to and available for work.  I honestly am looking, but I don't see how they verify that.  Now I understand where the fraud comes in.

How are you looking, do you search through the Chronicle's and Higher Ed's postings, or are you contacting schools/offices directly to ask if there are any jobs?

From my conversation with the unemployment office today it sounds as if I will have to do something very similar to you in terms of online statements/questionnaires. I have to try for 2 jobs a week until I can start my job in the late summer.

[zharkov]

Years ago, when I worked in industry and the company folded, I collected for maybe a month.  At the time, the unemployment office just expected me to look for work, and so I just applied to openings in my general field (mostly newspaper ads -- to date myself).  So ideally, just send out cover letters and CVs to jobs advertised in your field, or even send them to schools in your state that have not advertised.    Just keep a list of places you applied to, along with dates, and I strongly suspect you will be fine.  In theory, they are supposed to be able to check on people actually applying, but I doubt that ever really happens.  (Most states are laying people off, not hiring auditors.)

[msedc]

...  the unemployment office just expected me to look for work, and so I just applied to openings in my general field (mostly newspaper ads -- to date myself).  So ideally, just send out cover letters and CVs to jobs advertised in your field, or even send them to schools in your state that have not advertised.    Just keep a list of places you applied to, along with dates, and I strongly suspect you will be fine.  In theory, they are supposed to be able to check on people actually applying, but I doubt that ever really happens.  (Most states are laying people off, not hiring auditors.)

Thanks zharkov, that will be the approach I will take .. I looked over the materials I have, it says to be "actively searching," I think I can comply with that requirement with my approach.