Received mandatory NYS DOL Virtual Career Center appointment after filing unemployment - can I reschedule without affecting benefits?

Yeah these appointments are mandatory. They basically just check that you're actively looking for work and following the rules. They'll ask about your job search efforts, what kind of work youre looking for, and maybe suggest training programs. Usually takes about 30 minutes if everything goes smooth. You can try to reschedule but sometimes that takes forever and you don't wanna miss it or your benefits could get paused.

After trying to call ny unemployment for WEEKS with no luck, I finally found a service that got me a callback from an actual person! Used claimyr.com and within an hour I had a live agent on the phone who helped me reschedule my career center appointment. Best money I ever spent after wasting days trying to get through. They also have a helpful video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE

You can definitely reschedule! Had the same thing happen in february. If you cant make it call the career center number directly (not the regular unemployment number) - try early in the morning like 8:01am and you'll have better luck getting through. Just have a valid reason ready.

These appointments are usually pretty chill. They're just checking boxes honestly. Mine was like 20 min max, guy asked about my job search, verified my info, and suggested some workshops (which are optional btw). Just be friendly and show youre making an effort to find work.

DO NOT MISS THIS APPOINTMENT!!! I missed mine cause I thought it wasnt a big deal and my benefits got cut off for 3 weeks until I could get it sorted out. Absolute nightmare trying to get anyone on the phone to fix it. If you absolutely can't make it, call ahead to reschedule.

I had one of those appointments last month. It was virtual (over zoom) and took about 45 min. They mostly wanted to make sure I was actively lookign for work and offered some resources. Nothing scary. You can call to reschedule but its a pain to get through to someone. My advice: just do the appointment even if its inconveniant.

They're making EVERYONE do these now. Its part of there new "initiative" to get people back to work faster 🙄 They'll ask about your skills, what jobs your applying for, suggest training programs, and tell you about local employers hiring. Just show them your looking and youll be fine.

The system is such a joke. I've had like 3 of these appointments since I started claiming benefits in December. Each one with a different person who has no idea what the previous one told me. Just smile, nod, tell them youre applying to jobs, and it'll be over before you know it.

I've been through the whole ny unemployment system and can give you some solid advice on these career center appointments: • They're mandatory - missing one can pause your benefits • Typically last 30-45 minutes but can go longer • Have your work search records ready (at least 3 job applications per week) • Be prepared to discuss your skills and job goals • They might suggest training programs or workshops • You CAN reschedule but don't wait until the last minute If you need to reschedule, good luck getting someone on the phone. Regular unemployment line won't help with career center appointments. You need to call the career center directly. The fastest way I've found to reach ANYONE at NY unemployment is using claimyr.com - they'll wait on hold and call you when they get a real person. Completely changed my experience dealing with the system and worth every penny when you're desperate to talk to someone. Also, if you're volunteering, mention that during your appointment - it shows you're being productive while job searching, which they like to see. Good luck!

These appointment are so stupid. I got a job offer literally the day before my appointment and still had to do the whole song and dance. Complete waste of my time and the career counselor could care less that I already found work. Just bureaucratic nonsense.

Call the Career Center ASAP to reschedule. The number should be in the message they sent you. If you explain about your volunteering they might be flexible, especially if you emphasize that you're serious about your job search. Whatever you do, don't just no-show.

My appointment was actually kinda helpful tbh. The career counselor helped me fix my resume and showed me some job search sites I didn't know about. She even gave me a lead on a position that matched my experience. Not saying they're all great but it wasn't as bad as I expected.

If your volunteering with kids you might actually be able to count that as a work activity depending on your career field! My career counselor said volunteer work counts toward work search activities if its related to your field or building relevant skills. Worth mentioning during your appointment.

These appointments are just government theater so politicians can say they're "helping people find jobs" instead of "giving handouts" 🙄 But you gotta play the game. Show up, be polite, pretend their suggestions are helpful, and get it over with.

I just went through one of these last month and totally get your stress! Here's what helped me: I called the career center number (not the main unemployment line) at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday and got through after about 20 minutes on hold. Explained I had a prior commitment and they rescheduled me no problem. The appointment itself was pretty straightforward - lasted about 35 minutes. They asked about my job search strategy, what types of positions I was targeting, and reviewed my work history. Having a list of where I'd applied really sped things up. The counselor was actually nice and gave me some decent tips on LinkedIn optimization. Pro tip: definitely mention your volunteering during the appointment! They see that as a positive activity that shows you're staying engaged and building skills. Good luck with everything!

I've been through a few of these appointments and they're really not that scary! The key thing is to treat it like a friendly check-in rather than an interrogation. They mainly want to see that you're actively looking for work and following the requirements. Here's what I'd suggest: bring a simple list of jobs you've applied to (even if it's just 3-4 recent ones), be ready to talk about what kind of work you're looking for, and definitely mention your school volunteering - they actually love hearing about productive activities like that. The appointments are usually 30-45 minutes and done over video call. The counselor will probably ask about your job search methods, maybe suggest some resources or training programs (which are optional), and verify your contact info. If you absolutely need to reschedule, try calling the career center number directly early in the morning. But honestly, it might be easier to just do the appointment and get it over with. You could even do it from your phone if needed - they're pretty flexible about the tech setup. Don't stress too much about it! These counselors have seen it all and they're generally just trying to help people navigate the system. Good luck with both the appointment and your volunteering!

Just wanted to add my experience since I had one of these appointments a few weeks ago! I was super nervous too but it ended up being way more chill than expected. Mine was about 40 minutes and the counselor was actually pretty understanding when I explained I had some scheduling conflicts with my job search. A few things that helped me prepare: I made a simple spreadsheet with the jobs I'd applied to (company name, position, date applied), wrote down a few bullet points about my career goals, and had my resume handy just in case. The counselor mostly wanted to make sure I was meeting the work search requirements and offered some resources I could use. They're definitely more interested in seeing that you're making an effort than drilling you on every detail. And like others mentioned, definitely bring up your school volunteering - they see community involvement as a really positive thing! If you do need to reschedule, I'd suggest calling as early as possible in the morning. The wait times are brutal but you're more likely to get through. Either way, don't let it stress you out too much - these counselors deal with hundreds of people and they're generally just trying to help you stay compliant with the system. You've got this!

I had one of these appointments about a month ago and totally understand your anxiety! The good news is they're really not as intimidating as they sound. Mine was done over Zoom and took about 30 minutes. The counselor basically just wanted to confirm I was actively job searching and following the requirements. They asked what types of positions I was looking for, how my search was going, and offered some resources like job fairs and training programs (all optional). I had a simple list of where I'd applied recently which seemed to satisfy them. Definitely mention your school volunteering during the appointment! They actually view community involvement really positively and it shows you're staying active and engaged. You might even be able to count it toward your work search activities depending on your field. As for rescheduling, you can try calling the career center number directly (not the main unemployment line) early in the morning. But honestly, since it's virtual, you might be able to do it from your phone if needed and still make your volunteering commitment the same day. The scheduling is usually pretty flexible. Try not to stress too much - these counselors are generally just trying to help people navigate the system, not trip you up. You've got this!

I totally get the anxiety about this! I had my first NYS Career Center appointment a couple months ago and was freaking out too. It ended up being way less stressful than I expected - basically just a friendly conversation about my job search. The appointment was about 35 minutes over Zoom. The counselor asked what kind of work I was looking for, how my applications were going, and if I needed any resources or help with my resume. I had a list of jobs I'd applied to recently (nothing fancy, just company names and dates) and that seemed to be exactly what they wanted to see. Definitely mention your school volunteering! When I told my counselor about some community work I was doing, she was really positive about it and said it showed I was staying productive and building skills. They actually seem to really like hearing about volunteer activities. For rescheduling - you can try calling the career center directly early in the morning (like 8 AM), but honestly the hold times are brutal. Since it's virtual though, you might have more flexibility than you think. Some people even do them from their phones if needed. Bottom line: these counselors aren't trying to catch you doing something wrong. They just want to make sure you're following the work search requirements and offer help if you need it. You'll do great!

Hey! I just went through one of these appointments last week and wanted to share what helped me feel more prepared. The whole "REIMAGINE Your Career" messaging is just their standard branding - don't let that throw you off. It's really just a routine check-in to make sure you're meeting the work search requirements. Mine was done over video call and took about 40 minutes. The counselor was actually pretty friendly and mostly wanted to see that I was actively applying to jobs and following the guidelines. I brought a simple list of where I'd applied (company names, positions, dates) and she seemed satisfied with that level of detail. Here's what really helped me: I prepared a few talking points about what types of jobs I was targeting and my search strategy. Nothing fancy - just being able to articulate that I had a plan seemed to go over well. And definitely mention your school volunteering! When I told my counselor about some community work I was doing, she was really positive about it and said it showed initiative and skill-building. They actually view volunteer activities as a good thing, not a conflict. For rescheduling, you can try calling the career center number directly early in the morning, but the hold times are rough. Since it's virtual though, you might have more flexibility with timing than you think. Some people even take the calls from their cars if needed! Try not to stress too much - these folks have seen it all and they're generally just trying to help people stay compliant with the system. You'll do fine!

I just had one of these appointments two weeks ago and it was honestly way less scary than I built it up to be! The whole "REIMAGINE Your Career" thing is just their standard messaging - don't let the marketing language freak you out. My appointment was about 30 minutes over Zoom and the counselor was actually really nice. She basically just wanted to confirm I was actively job searching and meeting the work search requirements. I had a simple list of jobs I'd applied to (nothing fancy, just company names and dates in a Word doc) and that was totally sufficient. Here's what I'd suggest: definitely mention your school volunteering during the appointment! When I told my counselor about some volunteer work I was doing, she was super positive about it and said it showed I was staying productive and building relevant skills. They actually view community involvement as a really good thing. You can try calling the career center number directly (not the main unemployment line) early in the morning to reschedule if needed, but honestly since it's virtual you might have more flexibility than you think. Some people even do them from their phones if necessary. Don't stress too much about it - these counselors aren't trying to trip you up or find reasons to cut your benefits. They're just making sure you're following the rules and they'll probably offer you some resources that might actually be helpful. The fact that you're already volunteering and actively thinking about your obligations shows you're taking this seriously, which is exactly what they want to see. You've got this!

I had this exact same appointment a few weeks ago and was super nervous about it too! The "REIMAGINE Your Career" branding is just their standard messaging - don't let it psych you out. Mine was done over Zoom and took about 35 minutes. The counselor was actually pretty chill and mainly just wanted to verify I was actively job searching. I had a basic list of companies I'd applied to (just names and dates in a notebook) and she was totally fine with that level of detail. Definitely bring up your school volunteering during the appointment! When I mentioned my volunteer work, the counselor was really positive about it and said it showed I was staying engaged and building skills. They actually view community involvement as a major plus. Since it's virtual, you might have more scheduling flexibility than you think. You could potentially do the call from your phone before or after your volunteering if rescheduling doesn't work out. But if you do need to reschedule, try calling the career center number (not the main unemployment line) right at 8 AM - that's when you're most likely to get through. Don't stress too much about this - these counselors aren't trying to catch you doing anything wrong. They just want to make sure you're following the work search requirements and they'll probably offer some helpful resources. You're already being proactive by volunteering and thinking ahead, which is exactly the kind of attitude they want to see!

I had one of these appointments back in January and totally understand your stress! The "REIMAGINE Your Career" language is just their standard branding - it's really not as intense as it sounds. My appointment was virtual (Zoom) and lasted about 30 minutes. The counselor was actually pretty understanding and just wanted to confirm I was meeting the work search requirements. I brought a simple list of jobs I'd applied to and she was satisfied with that. Here's the key thing - definitely mention your school volunteering during the appointment! Every counselor I've heard about views volunteer work super positively. It shows you're staying productive and engaged in your community, which is exactly what they want to see. Since it's virtual, you might actually be able to work around your volunteering schedule more easily than you think. You could potentially do the call earlier in the morning or later in the day. But if you absolutely need to reschedule, call the career center number directly (not the main unemployment line) right when they open at 8 AM - that's your best shot at getting through. Try not to stress too much about this - these counselors aren't looking for reasons to cut your benefits. They just want to see that you're actively job searching and following the rules. The fact that you're already volunteering and being thoughtful about your commitments shows you're taking everything seriously, which is perfect. You've got this!

I went through this exact same situation a couple months ago and completely understand your anxiety! The whole "REIMAGINE Your Career" messaging had me freaking out too, but it's honestly just their standard branding - nothing to stress about. My appointment was over Zoom and took about 40 minutes. The counselor was actually really friendly and just wanted to make sure I was actively job searching and meeting the work search requirements. I had a simple list of jobs I'd applied to (just company names and dates in a Word doc) and that was totally fine. Here's the thing that really helped me - I mentioned my volunteer work during the appointment and the counselor was super positive about it! She said it showed I was staying engaged and building skills, which is exactly what they want to see. So definitely bring up your school volunteering - it'll actually work in your favor. Since it's virtual, you might have more flexibility than you think. You could potentially schedule it for earlier in the morning or later in the day 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 shot at getting through without waiting forever. Don't let this stress you out too much! These counselors aren't trying to trip you up or find reasons to cut your benefits. They just want to see that you're following the rules and making a genuine effort. The fact that you're already volunteering and being proactive about this shows you're taking everything seriously, which is perfect. You'll do great!

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!