Taking Advantage of Your Time During Unemployment

Whether it is an unexpected bombshell or a planned transition period, unemployment can be a tumultuous in a person's life. Dean LaTourette, co-author of "Time Off! The Upside to Downtime," observes, "While it can be a scary time, most people who allow themselves a break find that getting laid off or quitting their job ends up being one of the best career moves they ever made." Katherine Tom, author of "Five Ways to Make Unemployment Work for You," suggests the following activities during an employment break.

1. Get an internship or Volunteer. If making a complete career change, unpaid work may give you the experience in a new field.

2. Go back to school. Training courses or continuing education classes are available year round through a variety of programs.

3. Explore your hobbies. Tom makes this assertion, "At worst, you'll get to enjoy yourself, and at best you may find a way to make money doing what you love."

4. Travel. While working, few receive enough vacation time to enjoy extended periods of travel. Take advantage of your free time during this stage of your life.

To read Katherine Tom's article visit:

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-five_ways_to_make_unemployment_work_for_you-234

Employee Turnover

Employee turnover can be extremely costly for a business. Dr. Rick Johnson in his article, "The Time to Fire is BEFORE You Hire," estimates turnover costs are, "averaging over 1 1/2 times the annual salary of the individual that must be replaced." To calculate your business' turnover rate use these formulas provided by retention specialist Colin Brown.

http://www.employee-retention-guide.com/Calculate.pdf

Homebuyer "101" Workshop

Housing and Credit Counseling presents a workshop for those who dream of owning their first home. Find out what you can afford to buy. Qualified instructors will take you throught the homebuying process, from loan application to closing and everything in between. This FREE workshop will be offered Saturday, March 22, 2008 from 9 am to 1 pm at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library (10th & Washburn).

To register please call 785-234-0217, 800-383-0217 or email hcci@hcci-ks.org