PA UC job search requirements stressing me out - must everyone do weekly activities?

Yes, you absolutely need to complete and document work search activities every week you claim benefits. PA UC requires that you do at least ONE job application AND one additional work search activity each week. The additional activity can be: - Attending a job fair - Creating or posting your resume on PA CareerLink - Taking a civil service test - Contacting former colleagues about job opportunities It's not just about applying to jobs. Networking counts too! You need to keep detailed records of everything because they do audit people randomly. Don't risk your benefits by skipping this.

i havent been doing the activities every week and now im freaking out lol. been on UC for 3 months now

Let me share what I track for each job search activity (PA UC made me submit my records during an audit last month): 1. Date of activity 2. Type of activity (job application, resume posting, etc) 3. Employer name/website where you applied 4. Position title 5. Method of contact (online, email, in-person) 6. Result/outcome (if any) 7. Contact information if you spoke with someone Keep this info in a spreadsheet or notebook. Trust me, you don't want to be scrambling if they ask for verification!

NOT EVERYONE HAS TO DO WORK SEARCH!!! There are exemptions!!! If you're in a union with hiring hall or on a temporary layoff with return date within 6 weeks, you might be exempt. Also if you're in approved training. Check your determination letter, it should say if you have work search requirement or not.

Anyone else find it ridiculous that they expect us to apply to jobs every single week? In some specialized fields there might only be a handful of appropriate positions open in a 3-month period. What are we supposed to do, apply for jobs we're completely unqualified for? Or jobs 3 hours away? The system doesn't make sense for a lot of professionals.

If you're having trouble finding enough job postings each week, try broadening your search a bit. For graphic design, look into related positions like marketing assistant, production artist, or digital media roles. You can also count freelance applications! Reaching out to businesses about potential contract work definitely counts as a work search activity.

One thing nobody's mentioned - if you're struggling to connect with the UC office to ask questions about work search requirements, I found a service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual person at PA UC. I was getting constant busy signals for days, then used their service and got connected within an hour. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 that shows how it works. The agents can actually tell you exactly what counts for your specific situation and what documentation they need.

Also make sure you're doing the WEEKLY CERTIFICATIONS on time! I made the mistake of missing one week when I first started and it messed up my payments. The work search activities and the weekly filing are two separate requirements.

Yes, the Sunday filings are your weekly certifications. Make sure when you do those, you're answering the work search question correctly. If you say you didn't complete work search activities when required, it will disqualify you for that week's benefits.

Just want to add that if you're in graphic design, don't overlook updating your portfolio on sites like Behance, Dribbble, or even LinkedIn - these count as work search activities! I've been updating mine weekly and documenting it. Also, reaching out to staffing agencies that specialize in creative roles is another good activity to track. Many of them in PA work with graphic designers for both temp and permanent positions. The key is being proactive about different types of activities so you're not just relying on job applications when openings are slim.