SACRAMENTO, Calif — Zubir Boyer worked at a hotel resort for two years. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the impact it has had on tourism, Boyer, like 22 million other Americans, is now unemployed.
"I was furloughed around March 30," Boyer explained. "But before that, I was out of work for a week and a half prior to the furlough being mailed to my house."
Boyer said he tried to apply for unemployment, calling "approximately 120 times every other day" but has been unsuccessful navigating California's Employment Development Department website.
Because of the amount of people unemployed in California, (About 2.7 million Californians have applied for unemployment insurance so far, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.) the department, which oversees out-of-work benefits, has been swamped.
To meet the increased demand for support, Newsom said EDD would be extending call center hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fortunately for Boyer, he said he still lives with his parents and has support.
Still like millions of other Americans, he's facing a new feat — finding a new job.
"[I have to] take this opportunity to really evaluate what they want to do next," Hamilton said.
Denise Hamilton, a career counselor at California State University, Sacramento, said while most, if not all, career centers are closed due to COVID-19, there are resources still available to make sure your cover letter and resume stands out among the rest.
"There are folks on Linkedin that give advice that can help you, and you can ask your questions, and there's no cost for that," Hamilton said.
Additionally, thinking ahead and taking time to build professional relationships can be beneficial for job seekers after life returns back to normal.
Hamilton also said that applying in mass quantity will not help your odds of finding a job. Instead, it's better to focus on one job at a time and write your resume to reflect the position you want.
She said job seekers should have a plan before frantically applying for jobs.
"Plan A [should be] your ultimate goal, Plan B could be something that is similar but is in a different industry," Hamilton said.
Follow the conversation on Facebook with Monica Coleman.
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