Kyle - I am unclear as to exactly what your question might be. Let me at least share the following information.

If you are in the full time job market, you are probably eligible to collect unemployment benefits and that should help you financially until you find a job, even if you end up taking a part time job while seeking a full time position.

Be clear and know what your finances are and exactly how much you need to earn to get by. Sometimes the fear is greater than the reality.

Do not let your health insurance lapse. If you participated in an employer-sponsored healthcare plan, you should be eligible for COBRA and since you were terminated (vs resigned) your cost of healthcare premium could be as low as 35% of the usual monthly cost.

Look to your local community and colleges for special financial support and consideration for your continuing education. Some offer free tuition to the unemployed and displaced workers.

Lastly, Be prepared for the interview. Do not mention cancer or health issues and come to the interview from a position of strength not desperation.

I am sorry. A lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. In Texas to become a certified teacher, I have to pass tests and get in field experience. The field experience is either an internship that is paid for a year or student teaching for 13 weeks without pay. I would prefer the internship, but I am still working on the tests and have two more courses to take.

I still have not received info on my Cobra so I have been worried about that. I am going to contact Cobra tomorrow. I am on unemployment. I did file for that.

Kyle -It sounds to me as though you have taken the right steps. The unemployment should provide you with a financial cushion. Hopefully internship pay is higher than your unemployment. You should check with your unemployment office how a stipend received for an internship would impact your collecting unemployment

Cobra is federally mandated for any employer with over 20 employees, so you should be able to count onthat and all of this would create a bridge for you while you are getting your certification. Check with your former employer's HR department. They have a limited amount of time to provide you with that information.

Be vigilant, stay on track, go for the certificate and try to stop worrying about what might or might not happen. I believe that stress contributes to cancer, so avoid it, wherever you can.

Just keep believing you are headed in the right direction and doing all the right things.

Margot

Hi Kyle,

Just wanted to quickly share this great article on insurance issues in case you run into problems with COBRA: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/women/paperwork/insuranceissues/.

Best of luck,

Alice

I am struggling to find work. I am still in school which will resume in October for me and just did my first unemployment claim, but some bad things happened with my former employer. I have a lawyer as well. I am at a loss what to do with this economy being what it is and trying to find work. I have had a couple of interviews, but I do not remember things being this bad when I last looked a few years ago.

Would you recommend any good job websites I could use in my job search? Thanks.

i HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED FROM MY JOB AND HAVE SOFT TISSUE NON-SMALL CELL CANCER / LEFT SHOULDER AND DESTRUCTION OF T3 VERTRAE AND PERMANENT ULNER NERVE DAMAGE. i AM COLLECTING UNEMPLOYMENT AND HAVE HAD SOME BUT VERY FEW JOB INTERVIEWS. I HAVE A BSN R.N. AND I AM CERTIFIED IN OTHER AREAS OF NURSING - HOWEVER I CANNOT FIND A JOB EVEN THOUGH IN THE NEWS, ECT., THERE IS A NURSING SHORTAGE BUT NOBODY IS HIRING. I HAVE BEEN ASKED WHY I HAVE BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR OVER 1 1/2 YRS AND I HAVE BEEN TRUTHFUL - AS SOON AS MY MEDICAL CONDITION IS DISCLOSED - I EITHER GET NO RESPONSE OR A "WE ARE TAKING APPLICATIONS BUT NOT HIRING AT THIS TIME". THEN I FIND OUT THE POSITION WAS FILLED DAYS AFTER WITH A LESS QUALIFIED PERSON. WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER?