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As someone who works in HR, I can tell you that EDD generally allows claimants with specialized skills to focus their job search within their field, especially during the early months of unemployment. They understand that career professionals can't immediately pivot to entirely different industries. However, here's what many people don't realize: while you're searching for jobs in your specialty, you should still document your efforts to be somewhat flexible. For example, note that you're considering related positions that might use your transferable skills, or slightly lower-level positions within your industry. This demonstrates good faith effort while still honoring your expertise. Also, be prepared for the first certification to be delayed. It's extremely common for first-time claimants, especially those with long-term previous employment, to have their first payment held pending review. Don't panic if this happens - it's standard procedure.
Welcome to the EDD journey! As someone who went through this process about 18 months ago after a similar long-term employment situation, I can relate to feeling overwhelmed. The good news is that with your specialized background and long work history, EDD will likely be reasonable about your job search requirements. A few additional tips from my experience: - Download the EDD mobile app once you get your UI Online account set up - makes certifying much easier - Consider reaching out to aerospace industry recruiters early on, even if you're not ready to interview yet. They often have insights about market conditions and can keep you in mind for future openings - LinkedIn Premium might be worth the cost during your job search - the InMail credits and expanded search features can be valuable for someone in a specialized field Also, don't underestimate the emotional side of this transition. After 24 years with one company, job searching feels completely foreign. Be patient with yourself as you learn the process. The community here is really supportive, so don't hesitate to ask questions as they come up!
This is really encouraging to hear from someone who went through a similar situation! The emotional aspect is definitely hitting me - after being in the same role for so long, everything about this process feels foreign. I hadn't thought about reaching out to recruiters proactively, but that's a great suggestion. Do you remember roughly how long your job search took in the aerospace field? Also, thanks for the tip about LinkedIn Premium - I've been debating whether it's worth the investment but it sounds like it could pay off.
UPDATE: My payment status just changed from pending to paid about an hour ago! It's not in my account yet but at least it's moving forward. Thanks everyone for your help and sharing your experiences - it really helped keep me from panicking too much!
Don't lose hope! Since @Noland Curtis just got his cleared, yours might be in the same batch and could update soon too. But yeah, if it s'still pending by tomorrow morning definitely give them a call. The fact that his moved is a good sign that they re'processing the backlog.
Hang in there! I went through something similar a few months ago and it took an extra day after others in the same situation got theirs cleared. Sometimes they process these holds in batches but not everyone gets released at exactly the same time. Definitely call if it's still stuck tomorrow, but there's still a good chance it'll update overnight or first thing in the morning.
Update: I FINALLY got through this morning! For anyone else struggling, here's what worked: Called at 8:17am (after the 8am rush), used the prompt sequence 1-1-7-1-7 as suggested, and got connected to a real person after about 30 mins on hold. Turns out my employer hadn't responded to EDD's wage verification request, which was holding up my claim. The rep put a note on my file and is expediting the process. They said payment should process within 5-7 days. Thanks everyone for your help!
Congrats on finally getting through! This is such a helpful update. It's crazy that employer wage verification delays are so common but they don't tell you that's what's holding things up. I'm dealing with a similar "pending review" status right now and this gives me hope. Going to try calling tomorrow morning around 8:15-8:20 using those same prompts. Did the rep give you any way to follow up if it takes longer than the 5-7 days they quoted?
@fb0860042981 That's such a relief that you got through! When I had a similar wage verification delay, the rep told me I could reference the case number they put in my file if I needed to call back. They should have given you some kind of reference number or case ID during the call. If not, you can always call back using the same prompts and mention the date of your previous call and what was discussed. The good news is once they've flagged your case for expedited processing, it usually does move faster. Fingers crossed you get paid soon!
UPDATE: I finally got through today! Used a combination of the tips from this thread - called at 8:01am exactly, used the 1-2-4 prompt sequence, and was on hold for about 45 minutes but finally spoke to someone. The rep confirmed it was indeed a name change issue causing the verification problem. For anyone else with this problem, persistence is key! Thank you everyone for your help!
That's such great news that you finally got through! Your post was so relatable - I'm dealing with a similar situation right now where I've been trying to file for disability benefits and keep hitting the same phone system walls. The 1-2-4 prompt tip is gold, I'm definitely going to try that tomorrow morning. It's crazy how these government phone systems seem designed to frustrate people into giving up. Thanks for sharing your success story and what actually worked - gives the rest of us hope that persistence really does pay off eventually!
Tom Maxon
To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI
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Andre Dupont
I'm going through something very similar! Applied for about 6 weeks ago and only received the notice of computation. My claim also shows as "active" but no yet. After reading everyone's comments here, it sounds like the new requirements are causing major delays. I'm going to try calling using one of the services mentioned here since I haven't been able to get through on my own. Has anyone had luck getting their released after completing the identity process? Really hoping this gets resolved soon as I'm also on a time-sensitive leave situation.
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