Figuring out unemployment at age 21
by Alena Masterson
Walking out of the room, her face blank but her mind filling with questions thinking over and over again, what now?
Rebecca Zylak was a senior of Franklin Pierce, who graduated a semester early. She was already on her career path to go physical therapy school and get a full-time job.
Her future plans were already on way as she was hired on as an administrative assistant for Harmeling Physical Therapy. However, that all changed March 19th.
Zylak felt worried as less and less patients were coming. “On average the here physical therapists will see up to 45 patients if everything is booked.”
However, there was only about 15 patients now because they kept cancelling due to fear of the corona virus. With this Zylak knew that there was the possibility that the practice could shut down and her time there may be briefly interrupted.
When her boss took her to have a private conversation, Zylak said she had no idea she was about to be let go. “It was so early on, I wasn’t prepared or expecting it at all.”
When he pulled out the unemployment papers, Zylak felt a cold sweat break out. “I was so sad, but mostly blindsided because I didn’t even consider the idea of letting people go.”
She thought they would at least shut down the practice first and then start laying people off. However, because so many patients weren’t coming in, they couldn’t afford to keep on so many staff members.
Along with Zylak, the practice let go of an office aid as well as one of the physical therapists, cutting their staff almost in half. Now Zylak at the age of 21 is filing for unemployment.
She’s struggling to figure out what her next move is. While she’s still going to physical therapy school in the fall, she needs to find another job immediately. Having tuition and other living expenses weighs on her mind as she applies to any places hiring.
For now, she lives at home with her parents, but she still has car payments, insurance, and the tuition for physical therapy school. She knows her savings can only get her so far.
Nevertheless, she is looking forward to when she can get back on track with her plan and hope that she never has to file for unemployment again.
