Assigned Tasks

In order to remain on unemployment, I have to meet certain obilgations. Three weeks ago i attended a seminar for people receiving extended benefits, and we left with a homework assignment of sorts and an appointment for a follow-up interview.

I have to maintain a log of my job search activity for each week. I also had to visit a particular website and do some very cursory research on employment trends for my general work area, and fill out a couple of brief forms.

I had to complete these things and go back for my follow-up by a certain date. The follow-ups are done on several different days of the week during specified blocks of time; you show up and sign in on a sheet, and staffers come and call people in the order they have signed in.

My interview was this morning. I arrived just after 9 and signed in; there were eight or nine people ahead of me, but there were also three or four different staffers doing the interviews, so it didn't take long. What did surprise me was that there was really no interview to speak of; the staffer looked over my paperwork to verify that I had completed the required tasks, and entered some info into my file on a computer, but that was about it. They didn't even keep the forms, and I was out of there in about 45 minutes. I guess they just want to make sure people are not totally slacking off.