I just had one of these appointments last month and wanted to add my perspective! The whole thing ended up being way more straightforward than I expected. Mine was about 35 minutes over Zoom and the counselor was actually pretty understanding. What really helped me was being upfront about my situation - I mentioned I was doing some volunteer work at a local food bank and she was genuinely impressed by that. She said it showed I was staying active in the community and building transferable skills, which is exactly what they want to hear. For your school volunteering, definitely frame it as a positive during the appointment! They see community involvement as a sign that you're engaged and productive while job searching. You might even be able to count it toward your work activities depending on what type of work you're looking for. The appointment itself was mostly just confirming I was meeting the work search requirements - they asked about what types of jobs I was applying to, how my search was going, and offered some resources (all optional). I had a simple list of applications I'd submitted and that seemed to satisfy them completely. Since it's virtual, you might have more flexibility than you think with timing. But if you absolutely need to reschedule, call that career center number directly early in the morning - like right at 8 AM when they open. Don't use the main unemployment line for this. Try not to stress too much! These folks aren't trying to catch you doing anything wrong - they just want to see you're following the rules and making an effort. Your volunteering commitment actually shows exactly the kind of responsible attitude they're looking for.

I had one of these appointments about 6 weeks ago and it was honestly much less stressful than I anticipated! The whole "REIMAGINE Your Career" thing is just their standard marketing language - don't let that freak you out. My appointment was virtual over Zoom and lasted about 30 minutes. The counselor was actually pretty nice and mainly just wanted to verify I was actively job searching and following the work search requirements. I had a basic list of jobs I'd applied to (just company names, positions, and dates in a simple document) and she seemed totally satisfied with that level of detail. Here's the key thing - absolutely mention your school volunteering during the appointment! When I brought up some community work I was doing, the counselor was really positive about it and said it demonstrated I was staying productive and developing skills. They actually view volunteer activities as a major plus, not a distraction from job searching. Since it's virtual, you might have more scheduling flexibility than you realize. You could potentially do the call earlier in the morning or later in the evening around your volunteering commitment. But if you absolutely need to reschedule, try calling the career center number directly (not the main unemployment line) right at 8 AM when they open - that's your best chance of getting through without a massive wait. Don't stress too much about this! These counselors aren't looking for reasons to cut your benefits or catch you doing something wrong. They just want to see that you're making a genuine effort and following the guidelines. The fact that you're already volunteering and being thoughtful about your commitments shows exactly the kind of responsible attitude they want to see. You'll do great!

I've been on NY unemployment since December and this whole thread has been such an eye-opener! I was definitely one of those people setting Sunday alarms and stressing out thinking I had to certify by a specific time or lose my benefits. It's amazing how much unnecessary anxiety we create when we don't have the full picture. I've experienced those Sunday system crashes too - the site would be so slow or completely unresponsive, which just added to the stress. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely switching to Monday morning certifications. The real payment timing details everyone shared are incredibly helpful too. It's frustrating that the official NYSDOL site doesn't clearly explain these flexibility options, but thankfully we have this community to share actual experiences. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's going to help so many people avoid that Sunday certification panic!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I just started collecting NY unemployment two weeks ago and was doing the exact same thing as everyone else - setting multiple Sunday alarms and panicking if I wasn't logged in by 9 AM sharp. I honestly thought Sunday certification was mandatory and that missing it would mean losing a full week of benefits. Reading everyone's experiences about being able to certify any day through Saturday is such a huge relief! I've already dealt with those frustrating Sunday morning system crashes where pages take forever to load or just time out completely. The Monday morning certification strategy sounds perfect - no more weekend stress and better system performance. What I find most valuable is all the real payment timing details everyone shared. Knowing that Monday certification typically means Wednesday payment instead of Tuesday is so much more practical than the vague "2-3 business days" on the official site. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this community is already proving to be way more helpful than trying to navigate the NYSDOL website alone!

I'm new to this community but unfortunately in a very similar situation! I gave my two weeks notice at my restaurant job yesterday and I'm already nervous they might do exactly what happened to all of you - just cut me loose early instead of letting me work through my notice period. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both eye-opening and reassuring. It's incredible how common this practice seems to be across different industries. I had no idea that when employers do this, it's still considered involuntary termination for unemployment purposes since you were willing to work but they made the choice to end it early. If this does happen to me, I'll definitely file with NYS Department of Labor right away and make sure to emphasize that I submitted my resignation with the intention to work my full notice period. It's really frustrating that being professional and giving proper notice can backfire financially, but it's comforting to know there are protections in place. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories - this community is so helpful for navigating these tricky employment situations that seem way more common than I realized!

I'm completely new to this community but found myself in almost exactly the same situation! I gave my two weeks notice at my customer service job on Wednesday and they just told me this morning that they're "releasing me immediately" and don't need me for my remaining shifts. I was honestly panicking thinking I'd screwed myself out of unemployment benefits by resigning first, but reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief. It's amazing (and frustrating) how common this seems to be - you try to do the right thing by giving professional notice and then employers basically punish you for it. But knowing that NYS Department of Labor treats this as involuntary termination since I was willing to work my full notice period but they chose to cut it short is incredibly reassuring. I'm definitely filing my claim first thing Monday morning and will make sure to be very clear about the timeline - that I submitted my resignation with a specific end date but they terminated me before that. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so comforting to know we're not alone in dealing with these situations and that there are actually protections in place when employers pull these moves!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm collecting unemployment in NY too and had a similar panic moment last week when I thought I missed my certification deadline (turns out I was just confused about the timing). Reading everyone's experiences here really shows how common these concerns are and how helpful this community is. @Keisha Johnson so glad you got it resolved quickly! The consistent advice about calling right at 8am when they open seems to be the real secret sauce. I just enabled the email reminders through NY.gov that multiple people recommended - can't believe I didn't know about that feature! Also setting up the multiple alarm system that @Amina Sy and others mentioned. The certification log idea from @Zara Ahmed is genius too - definitely starting one to track everything. It's incredible how much more useful this real-world advice is compared to trying to navigate the official websites alone. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - you've turned what could be a nightmare situation into a manageable one with clear action steps!

This thread is absolutely incredible! As someone who's been collecting NY unemployment since October 2024, I wish I had found this kind of detailed, real-world advice earlier. I've had a few close calls myself but never actually missed a certification - reading everyone's experiences here makes me realize how lucky I've been! The consistency in everyone's advice is amazing - calling right at 8am, avoiding Mondays, having documentation ready. I just went through my NY.gov account and enabled those email reminders that multiple people mentioned (seriously can't believe I didn't know about this feature!). Also love the certification log idea from @Zara Ahmed - I'm a bit of a worrier so having written proof of everything would definitely give me peace of mind. @Keisha Johnson your original post and quick resolution really shows that while the system can be confusing, there are definitely people willing to help when you need it. This whole thread should be required reading for anyone starting unemployment in NY - the practical tips here are so much more valuable than anything on the official websites. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and made this such a comprehensive resource!

Wait so if I just started a new job in November but got laid off in December, those wages won't count toward my base period? That seems really unfair since that was my highest paying job.

I went through this exact situation last year! The key thing to remember is that NYS Department of Labor uses quarters, not months, for base period calculations. So your September-December 2024 earnings would fall into Q3 and Q4 of 2024, which should definitely be included in your base period if you filed recently. The system automatically calculates both standard and alternate base periods and gives you whichever results in higher benefits - you don't need to request anything special. Just make sure all your employers properly reported your wages to the state, as that's usually where discrepancies come from.