OK, that title may be a tad misleading. You were probably expecting some fluff piece about how you now have time to have that garage sale, alphabetize your CDs, or put all your pictures into photo albums. What we’re actually going to tell you is why and how you should file to receive unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. (If you want to skip the "why," and go straight to the "how," scroll to the end of this article.)

There are only two good reasons for not filing for unemployment benefits:

You have not been laid off, or you have money to burn.

The latter is still a little suspect. You can bet that even Donald Trump doesn’t burn bills—for fun or fuel. So let’s focus on the first one. Bottom line: if you have been laid off through no fault of your own, you should be collecting UI.

Five excuses that won’t cut it:
I’d be embarrassed if anyone found out I’m collecting unemployment.
I’m not that desperate, and I don’t want potential employers to think I am.
I don’t feel like waiting in line and filling out all those forms.
If all goes as planned, I’ll land a new job next week; I’ll just wait it out.
That would be like admitting defeat. I’m not unemployed; I’m between jobs.

For those of you who have ever let any of the above statements cross your lips or your mind, we have three words: GET OVER YOURSELF! Easier said than done, in most cases. But perhaps the outline below, based on the lame excuses above, will help shed some light on your situation.

1. I’d be embarrassed if anyone found out I’m collecting unemployment.
Some people might argue that, if you’re collecting UI, no one needs to know about it. But could that argument actually perpetuate an otherwise imaginary stigma associated with collecting UI? In other words, until we feel comfortable talking about it, it will remain a dirty secret.

"With the recent wave of mass cutbacks and layoffs, I’m realizing that some people, especially younger workers, have never had the experience of being laid off," says Nancy Helgeson of Collaborative Solutions Career Coaching in San Diego. "But if you’ve been in the work force for a couple of decades, you understand that it’s just a sequence that you go through."

If there’s one good thing the recent economic downturn has done, it’s bringing all of this out into the open. It has become a normal part of conversation among downsized employees. There is no shame in collecting UI. (By the way, we’re not abbreviating that to euphemize in any way; it’s merely a space saver.)

2. I’m not that desperate—and I wouldn’t want potential employers to think I am.
First of all, how would they know? And second, why would they care? "It’s not something that’s public information," says Helgeson. "The interviewer doesn’t have access to your files."

According to Genuity staffing manager Pat Harrington, whether or not a particular candidate is collecting unemployment is not an issue. "It’s just not something that comes up at an interview," says Harrington. "What we do ask is why they’ve been out of work for several months. For instance, I might have concerns about a candidate with very marketable skills who can’t find work. But if it’s not a hot market for their particular skill or if they’ve taken time off to go back to school, we take that into account when reviewing their employment history."

"The fact remains that, when you’re not working—for any period of time—you still have financial obligations," says Harrington. "You need to honor those obligations. I know that if we had to lay off a number of workers, and someone came to me for counsel, I would definitely encourage that person to file for benefits," says Harrington.

It makes sense that executives at a company that has had to make major cut-backs would want affected employees to benefit from monies the company has already paid into the UI system for that very purpose. Except in a few states where there are small employee payments, the UI system is financed by a payroll tax on employers.

"It’s a lot like Workman’s Comp." says career consultant Andrea Kay, author of Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want. "Go ahead and take advantage of it."

3. I don’t feel like waiting in line and filling out all those forms.
Can you say ‘sloth’? Like ‘pride’ (see #s 1 & 2), sloth is one of the seven deadly sins. Not only is laziness bad for your eternal soul, it can be deadly for your job search. If you’re unwilling to work—and that includes legwork and paperwork—you’ll probably be out of a job for a while. So look at the process of filing your UI claim as an exercise in discipline, stamina, tolerance—that will help get you in gear for a vigorous job search.

"It can be a time consuming task," says Kay. "You have to go down there, stand in line, check in, show documents, etc. But put it in perspective. If it’s something you need to do, just do it."

4. If all goes as planned, I’m sure I’ll land a job next week; I’ll just wait it out.
We’ll call this one a cross between pre-meditated sloth, (a.k.a., procrastination) and plain ol’ bad judgement. If you could count on everything going "as planned," you wouldn’t be out of a job, now would you?

Even if you have the best connections, a killer resume, and stellar interview skills—in an unstable job market, there’s no guarantee you’ll have a new job in six weeks. And that’s how long it can take before you get your first UI check.

So what if that check is barely enough to pay your utility bill! Look at this way—it’ll pay your utility bill. When money’s tight, every little bit helps.

5. That would be like admitting defeat. I’m not unemployed; I’m between jobs.
Does having car insurance mean you’ve admitted that you’re a bad driver? Of course not. It means you’re a responsible driver. Likewise, collecting UI simply makes you a responsible, resourceful job seeker.

You might want to use your UI check to cover the costs of your job search. Be sure to save all your receipts for these expenses; they’re usually tax-deductible.

Now, to address the semantics issue of lame excuse # 5. If thinking of yourself as "between jobs" rather than "unemployed" helps you to keep a positive attitude, that’s one thing. Emphatically insisting that your friends and family never use the "u" word with reference to you is quite another.

Coming to terms with the fact that you are unemployed is hardly admitting defeat. In fact, a healthy, roll-with-the-punches attitude is exactly what you should strive for. Don’t think that people won’t see right through thinly veiled despair. A publicly upbeat person who’s privately desperate will have a tough time making a good impression at a networking function or job interview.

Taking it all in Stride
In her work with Southern California professionals who are facing a career transition, Heather Wieshlow of Turning Point Coaching and Consulting has seen a variety of coping strategies—some more effective than others.

"I’ve had clients who don’t tell anybody they’re not working," explains Wieshlow. "They get up and leave the house at the same time every morning, so the neighbors won’t wonder why they’re home all day."

(Keeping your job loss under wraps is not only unhealthy, it’s also counterproductive. In fact, the more people you tell about your search for a new position, the greater chances you’ll have of making a connection that will lead to your new job.)

According to Wieshlow, individuals whose identity is very much tied to their work often have to be convinced that there are people without paying jobs who are still worthwhile, contributing members of society. "You have to learn to feel good about yourself, with or without a job," she says. "It’s much easier to go out and look for a job when you have confidence. You have to be comfortable in your own skin."

On the other end of the spectrum, there can be some down-the-road ramifications of receiving UI, warns Wieshlow. "For some, [unemployment] becomes their identity—who they are. Their time is not structured; they don’t know what to do with themselves," says Wieshlow. "They get themselves into a bad loop that’s hard to get out of."

However, it is not likely that you will ever find yourself caught up in that loop, especially considering how long it has taken to convince you to file for UI. If we’d convinced you already, you wouldn’t have read this far into the article. You’d have scrolled to the bottom for the "how" paragraphs ago! (You’re almost there.)

Nevertheless, there's no denying that there is a real danger in adopting a mindset that’s passive. Yes, you were laid off through no fault of your own. But you must now take control of your future.

"Although it is important to realize that your collecting unemployment is not a direct result of any one thing you did, you should evaluate yourself at some point," says Andrea Kay. "Ask yourself why were you a part of the layoff, as opposed to being part of the group that wasn’t laid off. Look at all the facts and then make a decision to work on being a better contributor."

Assessing yourself as an employee is just one more way to regain control of your career. Your UI check is another.

How to file for UI
Click on the U.S. Department of Labor link below for information about Unemployment Insurance and filing instructions for individual states.
http://www.wdsc.org/layoff/ui.htm