A friend called yesterday to advise me that his job is being eliminated at the end of January. While the holiday is a lousy time to learn such news, he is cool, calm and collected thanks to a decent severance from his current employer. He also is positive about PR job prospects in the new year.
While my friend is upbeat about landing a job in early 2010, he said his current employer provided only generic outplacement counsel so he wanted my recommendations on where he could get advice. I suggested several outplacement firms, including Kensington International, Challenger Gray & Christmas, and Shields Meneley Partners, but he wants to handle his own job search via free and online resources. Like anyone facing unemployment, he has serious questions about health insurance, unemployment compensation and job leads.
I encouraged him to check out a cleverly named site — The Canned.com. Started by formerly unemployed Millennials, the site provides important tips and links. The Canned debunks misguided stigma attached to unemployment insurance, plus it discusses insurance options ranging from COBRA to private insurance and state-sponsored insurance programs available in seven states (Illinois, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington). The site also assesses the best job boards on the Internet.
The Canned.com is worth visiting whether you’re employed or unemployed. Information also is helpful to individuals pursuing their first full-time jobs since it explains important benefits and will help you ask the right questions when talking with HR managers at prospective employers.