Health Chaos

I have an unemployment hearing with a judge on August 1st. Now that will be a challenge I am not used to. I tried to find info about the judge on line, but could only find her office number. So here is what i plan to say, if they even give me the time of day…

UNEMPLOYMENT HEARING, AUGUST 1, 2007

• Except for technology, I was overqualified, overeducated, and over experienced for this position.
• My 39 year career has been in public health or academia (sometimes both at the same time). This is where my heart is and where I thrive, contribute, and can be creative. I am trying to develop “connections” and “find leads” in these areas and believe that I will find something. I just need to expand to a broader geographic area.
• I was unemployed for a short time (8/04 until 3/05) because my temporary position ended. I did not collect unemployment at that time.
• The position was advertised as nursing supervisor. However, I was expected to be a clinical expert and fill in for nursing staff. I was expected to use clinical skills that I do not have and have not practiced since I was an undergraduate student. This is not where my professional strengths lie. Since I left the position, it is now advertised as Nursing Lead, a clinical position. I did not in any way misrepresent myself in the interview process, and my curriculum vitae are very clear and accurate as to my education, abilities, and experiences.
• When I arrived in this position I sought out several staff, since they did not have the respect and consideration to introduce themselves to me. And the usual comment I received was “wow; I am surprised you were hired, since our director only wants us to hire “fill in ethnic group”. Yet I was expected to be culturally sensitive, which I have needed to be in all of my positions and have always supported, and taught that ideology.
• My communication from the unemployment offices has always referred to an incorrect address. There is no such place.
• My most recent communication from the unemployment offices has also referred to “name withheld “as my employer. I have never heard of, nor met, this person.
• I also have been misquoted as to why I left my position. It was NOT for personal reasons, but rather due to “our management and communication styles are incompatible”. I spoke, at length, in my exit interview, about how I felt this position should be represented, because I felt that it was misrepresented to me. I have noticed that it is no longer described as a nursing supervisor position, but now rather as a “lead nurse” to provide nursing services.
• As one can tell from my curriculum vitae, I am very well educated and have been employed for 39 years as a health professional in high expectation capacities and have been extremely successful prior to my move to Washington.
• I now find myself disconnected from a world in which it is “connections” that lead to the best positions. I feel that I am getting “closer”.
• Since I was the victim of a major lay off at (insurance company) in October of 2006, I have applied for more than 150 positions and have had several interviews. And I have also accepted two positions that were not a good match for me, technologically.