I am a bit concerned about the unemployment benefits stuff though...

This Sunday morning will be the first time in over 4 months that I won't go online and file a claim. In that period I have been to the local "Employment Security" office for orientation, workshops and one audit.

My impression? Don't approach the Unemployment folks with undue apprehension. Many of them got their jobs with that agency after...being unemployed. They are reasonably quick to remind people that this is "unemployment insurance" paid for by by employers. The long and the short is that -- even during an audit that was intended to make sure people weren't abusing their benefits -- I never thought those folks were trying to bust anybody's ass. They know. Shite happens.

Anywho, I would approach them with an appropriately innocent demeanor and see what happens. One unfounded memory I have is that some employers try to "fire" whenever possible so as to avoid unemployment comp liability. Anyhow, be appropriately innocent and see how it goes.

I agree with Bitt's calculation re: not taking a job that yields less than your bennies. I'll also say that I hesitated to get locked into a job that I thought would be a grind if it took me out of the running for better work (I tend to commit to a minimum of 2 years once I have said "yes"). OTOH, nowadays, I might feel less loyalty if something better popped up after I had taken a crummy job under duress. Oh, and, having looked at a lot of resumes in my time, I have to agree with Doug's general point. If you can avoid having a obvious chunk of umeployment obvious to a prospective employer, so much the better for you. (Me? I just made like I was taking some "time off"! Right.)

Well, in the first 15 minutes of my 1st day on the job I learned that the person I am *temporarily* replacing won't be returning. My dear departed Aunt Helen (who always thought that I was sleeping at the Weeds Hotel) used to say "You could stick your foot in a bucket of shite and it would come up roses". Maybe this time.