First TWC work search log due - only have 2 job applications but need 3!

Good news - you don't need to panic! TWC accepts many activities as valid work search efforts, not just job applications. Here's what else counts: - Creating a resume or updating an existing one - Attending job fairs (virtual ones count too) - Networking with professional contacts about job opportunities - Meeting with a career counselor or attending a workshop - Taking skills assessment tests - Registering with a staffing agency - Participating in job training Just document what you did, when you did it, and any relevant contact information. As long as you're honest about your activities, you should be fine. And make sure to do all 3 required activities every week going forward!

I went through this EXACT same situation back in January! I was totally confused about the work search requirements too. So here's what I did - I called TWC directly to explain my situation. It took FOREVER to get through (like 3 hours of calling and getting disconnected). Btw, I eventually used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a TWC agent in like 30 minutes instead of spending all day calling. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh The agent told me that for my first week, they were pretty understanding as long as I showed good faith effort. Just be honest about what you did and make sure you meet all requirements going forward. Hope this helps!

dont worry so much, the TWC isnt gonna come knocking at ur door if you only have 2 instead of 3 for your first week lol. Just make sure u do it right from now on. they got thousands of claims and arent checking every single person's work search that carefully

When i was on umemployment last year i did stuff like: - updated my linkedin and added new skills - went to the workforce center and used their computers (they sign a paper proving you were there) - called a company to ask if they were hiring (asked for the hiring manager's name and wrote it down) - took a free online course related to my field You can totally count resume updates and job research as activities! Just write down what you did, when, and any relevant details. The TWC form lets you add notes to each activity.

To directly answer your question - if you don't submit a complete work search log for your first payment request, your payment will likely be delayed while TWC reviews your case, but your entire claim won't be rejected. You won't need to reapply completely. However, you should submit your payment request with the best documentation you have of your work search activities. TWC defines work search activities quite broadly. In addition to job applications, these activities count: 1. Creating and uploading a resume to WorkInTexas.com (which it sounds like you did) 2. Setting up job alerts on employment websites (Indeed, LinkedIn, etc.) 3. Researching employers in your field (document which companies and dates) 4. Creating accounts on job boards 5. Updating your resume Just make sure to document dates, times, and specific details of each activity. Moving forward, aim for at least 3 clear job applications per week to stay compliant.

I was in your same position when I first applied! It's confusing at first but gets easier. Just FYI - if you're using WorkInTexas, make sure you're actually applying through it and not just browsing. Each application gets recorded automatically in the system which helps with your work search log. Good luck!

The TWC system is DELIBERATELY CONFUSING and they make it hard on purpose so they can deny benefits!! My cousin lost 6 weeks of benefits because of their ridiculous work search rules that nobody explains properly. They expect you to somehow magically know everything without clear instructions! And calling them is almost IMPOSSIBLE - busy signals all day! If I were you, I'd document EVERYTHING - even the time you spent trying to figure out their broken website. Take screenshots of everything. Write down every minute you spent job searching. Don't give them any excuse to deny your benefits!

btw make sure ur requesting payment on the right day based on ur SS#... i messed that up at first and had to wait another 2 weeks for my money

i remember my first work search log i was so nervous lol. ended up being fine. just remember for next time that networking counts too! i literally counted a linkedin message i sent asking about opportunities as one of my activities.

One important clarification: While your first payment might be delayed if your work search log isn't complete, TWC won't automatically deny your entire claim. They may contact you for additional information or issue a determination that you can appeal. Regarding documentation, TWC typically doesn't require you to submit proof of work search activities with each payment request, but they can audit you at any time, so keep records of everything for at least a year. Emails confirming job applications, screenshots of completed applications, notes from networking calls - all of these are good to maintain. Moving forward, I recommend setting a calendar reminder each week to complete your 3 required work search activities. This simple habit will help ensure you remain eligible for benefits throughout your claim period.

For activities like researching companies or updating your resume, you should include: 1. The date of the activity 2. Which companies you researched (list at least 3-4) 3. What specific positions or departments you were exploring 4. Any follow-up actions you took (bookmarked job postings, made notes on requirements) For resume updates, note: 1. Date of update 2. What sections you modified 3. What skills or experiences you added This level of detail shows TWC that these were meaningful job search activities, not just casual browsing. Good luck with your claim!

Hey Ethan! I just went through this exact situation a few months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. I was also panicking about my first work search log, but it turned out okay. Here's what I did that counted as valid work search activities: - Updated my resume and saved different versions for different job types - Created profiles on multiple job sites (Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor) - Attended a virtual job fair hosted by my local workforce center - Reached out to former coworkers via LinkedIn to let them know I was job searching The key is documenting everything with dates and details. I kept a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, activity type, company/website name, and notes about what I did. Also, don't stress too much about your first week - TWC understands there's a learning curve. Just make sure you hit all 3 activities consistently from now on. You've got this!

Hey Ethan! I totally understand your panic - I was in the same boat when I first started collecting unemployment. The good news is that TWC is generally understanding for your first week, especially if you can show you made a good faith effort. Based on what you've described, you likely have more activities than you think! Here's what probably counts from what you mentioned: 1. Your 2 job applications (that's already 2 activities) 2. Setting up and learning how to use WorkInTexas (this counts as job search preparation) 3. Researching companies (as long as you can document which ones and when) For documentation, those confirmation emails from your job applications should be perfect. For the company research, just write down which companies you looked at, what positions you were interested in, and the dates. Going forward, I'd recommend keeping a simple log each week. Even things like updating your LinkedIn profile, attending virtual job fairs, or reaching out to professional contacts count toward your 3 activities. The key is just being consistent and keeping good records. You're going to be fine! The first week is always the hardest because you're learning the system. Just submit what you have with good documentation and make sure to stay on top of it moving forward.

I can totally relate to this stress! I was in your exact situation when I first applied for unemployment benefits. Here's what helped me get through it: First, take a deep breath - you're likely in better shape than you think! Based on what you've described, you probably already have your 3 activities: 1. Job application #1 (with email confirmation) 2. Job application #2 (with email confirmation) 3. Setting up your WorkInTexas profile and learning the system That time you spent "figuring out how to use WorkInTexas" absolutely counts as a legitimate work search activity! Make sure to note the date you did this and what specifically you accomplished (created profile, uploaded resume, set up job alerts, etc.). For future weeks, here are some easy activities that count: - Updating your resume or creating targeted versions - Networking calls/emails to former colleagues - Attending virtual job fairs or workshops - Taking online courses related to your field - Registering with staffing agencies - Company research (just document which companies and when) Keep detailed records of everything - dates, company names, what you did, any confirmation emails or screenshots. I use a simple Google Sheet to track everything. You've got this! The first week is always the hardest because you're learning the system, but it gets much easier once you establish a routine.

Hey Ethan! I can totally understand your stress - I was in the exact same situation when I first started my unemployment claim last year. The work search requirements seem overwhelming at first, but you're actually in much better shape than you think! From what you've described, you likely already have your 3 required activities: 1. Your first job application (keep that confirmation email!) 2. Your second job application (keep that one too!) 3. All that time you spent learning WorkInTexas and setting up your profile - this absolutely counts as job search preparation! I made the same mistake of thinking I could only apply through WorkInTexas at first. The reality is that TWC accepts a wide variety of activities. Some other things that count include updating your resume, researching potential employers (which you mentioned doing!), networking with contacts, attending virtual job fairs, or even taking online courses related to your field. For your documentation, those application confirmation emails should be perfect. For the WorkInTexas setup and company research, just write down what you did and when - something like "3/25/25: Spent 2 hours setting up WorkInTexas profile, uploaded resume, learned search functions" or "3/26/25: Researched ABC Company and XYZ Corp job openings, reviewed requirements for marketing positions." Don't worry about your claim being rejected - TWC is generally understanding for first-time filers, especially when you can show good faith effort. Just submit what you have documented and make sure to stay consistent with 3 clear activities each week going forward. You've got this!

Hey Ethan! I totally get the panic - I was in your exact shoes when I first started collecting unemployment last fall. The work search requirements felt so confusing and overwhelming at first! Here's the thing though - you're actually in much better shape than you realize. Based on what you've shared, you likely already have your 3 activities covered: 1. First job application (you have the email confirmation) 2. Second job application (you have that confirmation too) 3. All that time you spent learning how to use WorkInTexas and setting up your profile properly - this absolutely counts as a legitimate work search activity! I made the exact same assumption that WorkInTexas was the only place to apply. Spent hours figuring out that system just like you did. When I documented it as "job search preparation" with details about what I accomplished (setting up profile, learning search functions, uploading resume), TWC accepted it without any issues. For your documentation, keep those job application confirmation emails and just write up a simple note about your WorkInTexas activities with the date and what you did. Something like "Spent 3 hours on 3/XX learning WorkInTexas system, created profile, uploaded resume, researched job search tools." Don't stress about your claim being rejected - they're usually pretty understanding for first-timers as long as you're making genuine efforts. Going forward, just make sure to do 3 clear activities each week and keep good records. You've got this!

Hey Ethan! I can completely relate to this panic - I went through the exact same thing when I first started my unemployment claim a few months ago. The work search requirements seem so intimidating at first, but you're actually in much better shape than you think! From what you've described, you likely already have your 3 required activities: 1. Your first job application (keep that confirmation email!) 2. Your second job application (keep that one too!) 3. All that time you spent researching companies and learning how to use WorkInTexas - this absolutely counts as job search preparation! I made the same mistake initially, thinking WorkInTexas was the only acceptable place to apply. The hours I spent figuring out that system, setting up my profile, and researching how it worked all counted as legitimate work search activities when I documented them properly. For documentation, those confirmation emails from your job applications are perfect. For the company research and WorkInTexas setup, just write down what you did with dates - something like "3/XX/25: Spent 2 hours researching potential employers and learning WorkInTexas system, created profile, uploaded resume." Don't worry about your entire claim being rejected - TWC is generally understanding with first-time filers as long as you're showing good faith effort. Just submit what you have documented and make sure to consistently do 3 activities each week going forward. The first week is always the hardest because you're learning the system, but it gets so much easier once you establish a routine. You've got this!

Hey Ethan! I completely understand your panic - I had the exact same freak-out moment when I first started collecting unemployment benefits last year. The work search requirements seem so overwhelming when you're new to the system! The good news is that you're actually in much better shape than you realize. From what you've described, you likely already have your 3 required activities: 1. Your first job application (with email confirmation) 2. Your second job application (with email confirmation) 3. All that time you spent researching companies and learning how to navigate WorkInTexas - this absolutely counts as job search preparation! I made the same assumption about WorkInTexas being the only place to apply. The hours I spent figuring out that system, creating my profile, and learning how everything worked all counted as legitimate work search activities when I documented them properly. For documentation, keep those job application confirmation emails and write up a simple note about your WorkInTexas/research activities with dates and details. Something like: "3/XX/25: Spent 3 hours researching potential employers and learning WorkInTexas system - created profile, uploaded resume, set up job alerts." Don't stress about your claim being rejected - TWC is generally understanding with first-time filers as long as you're making genuine efforts. Just submit what you have and make sure to consistently hit 3 activities each week going forward. The first week is always the hardest, but it gets so much easier once you establish a routine!

Hey Ethan! I totally get the anxiety - I was in your exact same situation when I first filed for unemployment last summer. That first work search log feels so intimidating when you're not sure what counts! The great news is you're actually in really good shape. Based on what you've shared, you already have your 3 activities: 1. First job application (save that confirmation email!) 2. Second job application (save that one too!) 3. All that time researching companies and figuring out WorkInTexas - this 100% counts as job search preparation! I made the exact same mistake thinking WorkInTexas was the only place I could apply. All those hours I spent setting up my profile, learning the system, and researching employers absolutely counted when I documented them properly. Just write something like "3/XX: Spent 2+ hours researching employers in my field and setting up WorkInTexas profile - created account, uploaded resume, learned search features" along with your job application confirmations. TWC is pretty understanding for first-week filers, especially when you show genuine effort. Don't panic about your whole claim being rejected - that's not how it works! Just submit what you have documented and make sure to hit 3 clear activities consistently going forward. The first week is always the scariest, but you've totally got this!

Hey Ethan! I can totally relate to your stress - I was in almost the exact same situation when I first started my unemployment claim earlier this year. The work search requirements feel so overwhelming when you're new to the system! Here's some good news: you're actually in much better shape than you think. From what you've described, you likely already have your 3 required activities covered: 1. Your first job application (keep that confirmation email!) 2. Your second job application (keep that confirmation email too!) 3. All that time you spent researching companies and learning WorkInTexas counts as job search preparation! I made the same mistake initially, thinking I could only apply through WorkInTexas. The time I spent figuring out that system, setting up my profile, and researching how it all worked absolutely counted as legitimate work search activities. For documentation, keep those job application emails and just write down what you did with WorkInTexas - something like "3/XX/25: Spent 2 hours researching employers and setting up WorkInTexas profile, uploaded resume, learned search functions." Don't worry about your entire claim being rejected - TWC is generally understanding with first-time filers who are making genuine efforts. Just submit what you have documented and make sure to consistently do 3 activities each week going forward. The first week is always the hardest because you're learning the ropes, but it gets so much easier! You've got this!

Hey Ethan! I can totally understand your panic - I went through the exact same thing when I first started collecting unemployment benefits last year. That first work search log feels so scary when you're not sure what activities actually count! But here's the thing - you're actually in much better shape than you realize. From what you've described, you likely already have your 3 required activities: 1. Your first job application (keep that confirmation email!) 2. Your second job application (keep that one too!) 3. All that time you spent researching companies and learning how to use WorkInTexas - this absolutely counts as job search preparation! I made the exact same assumption that WorkInTexas was the only place I could apply. All those hours I spent figuring out the system, setting up my profile, and researching how everything worked counted as legitimate work search activities when I documented them properly. For documentation, just write down what you did with dates - something like "3/XX/25: Spent 2+ hours researching potential employers and setting up WorkInTexas profile - created account, uploaded resume, learned search functions." Don't stress about your entire claim being rejected - TWC is generally pretty understanding with first-time filers as long as you're showing good faith effort. Just submit what you have documented and make sure to consistently hit 3 activities each week going forward. The first week is always the hardest because you're learning the system, but it gets so much easier once you establish a routine. You've got this!

Hey Ethan! I totally feel your stress - I was in almost the exact same boat when I first filed for unemployment a few months back. That first work search log is nerve-wracking when you're not sure what counts! But honestly, you're in way better shape than you think. From what you've described, you actually already have your 3 activities: 1. First job application (with email confirmation) 2. Second job application (with email confirmation) 3. All that time you spent learning WorkInTexas and researching companies - this 100% counts! I made the same mistake thinking WorkInTexas was the only legit place to apply. Turns out all those hours I spent setting up my profile, figuring out the search functions, and researching potential employers absolutely counted when I documented them properly. Just jot down something like "3/XX/25: Spent 2-3 hours setting up WorkInTexas profile, uploaded resume, researched company job openings in my field" and you're golden. TWC is actually pretty reasonable with first-timers who are clearly making an effort. Your claim won't get rejected over this - worst case they might ask for clarification, but you've got documentation. Just stay consistent with 3 clear activities each week going forward and you'll be fine! The learning curve is steep at first but it gets so much easier.

Hey Ethan! I totally get the panic - I was in your exact situation when I first started collecting unemployment last year. The work search requirements seem so overwhelming at first! The good news is you're actually in much better shape than you think. Based on what you've described, you likely already have your 3 activities covered: 1. Your first job application (keep that confirmation email!) 2. Your second job application (keep that one too!) 3. All that time you spent researching companies and learning WorkInTexas absolutely counts as job search preparation! I made the same mistake thinking WorkInTexas was the only place to apply. The hours I spent figuring out that system and setting up my profile all counted when I documented them properly. For documentation, just write something like "3/28/25: Spent 2+ hours researching employers and setting up WorkInTexas profile - created account, uploaded resume, learned search functions." Don't worry about your claim being rejected - TWC is generally understanding with first-time filers who show genuine effort. Just submit what you have and make sure to hit 3 activities consistently going forward. The first week is always the scariest, but you've got this!