TWC work search log - Do I need to upload it or just keep it for later?

Thank you! That's such a relief. I was searching all over the website trying to figure out where to upload my logs. So I just need to keep good records in case they audit me, right?

This is TERRIBLE advice! I got audited last year and they denied my benefits because I didn't have DETAILED enough logs. They want EVERYTHING - the name of the person you talked to, email addresses, phone numbers, job posting ID numbers if available. Don't just scribble down "applied to walmart" or you'll regret it!!

Thank you for such a detailed explanation! Do you know where I can find that TWC template? I looked on their site but must have missed it.

yep same thing happened 2 my cousin. random check but they only asked once in like 4 months

Thanks for the detailed info! I'll check out that service if I need to speak with someone. Thankfully, it sounds like I'm on the right track with my work search logs so far.

This is an important point. For anyone reading, acceptable work search activities in Texas include: - Applying for jobs online or in person - Interviewing for positions - Attending job fairs - Creating a profile on WorkInTexas.com - Registering with a staffing agency - Attending networking events specifically for job searching - Participating in job skills training or workshops Simply browsing job listings without applying or taking specific actions does NOT count as a work search activity.

Glad we could help! Just remember to answer truthfully during your payment request about whether you completed your work search activities. If you say yes but haven't actually done them, that could be considered fraud. Good luck with your job search!

This is really helpful advice, especially about being specific from the start! I'm curious about the virtual career workshops you mentioned - do you have any recommendations for where to find legitimate ones that TWC would accept? I work in IT and sometimes the job market can be pretty quiet for my specific skill set, so having those alternative work search activities could be really valuable. Also, when you mention informational interviews, did you find those through professional networks or cold outreach? Thanks for sharing your experience!

Great question about virtual career workshops! For IT specifically, I've found that many public libraries offer free virtual career workshops that TWC accepts - they usually cover things like resume writing, interview skills, and job search strategies. The Texas Workforce Commission also hosts their own virtual workshops that you can find on their events calendar. Additionally, professional associations like CompTIA or local tech meetup groups often have career-focused webinars and networking events. For informational interviews, I've had success with both approaches. LinkedIn is great for reaching out to people in your field - I usually send a brief message explaining I'm conducting informational interviews as part of my job search and ask for 15-20 minutes of their time. Local tech meetups (many are still virtual) are also excellent for making these connections more naturally. The key is being genuine about wanting to learn about their career path and industry insights, not just asking for job leads directly. Make sure to document these conversations with details about who you spoke with, when, what you discussed, and any follow-up actions - TWC considers these legitimate work search activities as long as they're genuinely aimed at advancing your job search.

Great question about virtual workshops! I've found several good sources for legitimate career workshops that TWC accepts. LinkedIn Learning has tons of professional development courses and they often host live virtual career events. Your local workforce development centers (One-Stop Career Centers) frequently offer free virtual workshops - you can find them through WorkInTexas.com. Libraries often host virtual job search workshops too, and many universities open their career workshops to community members. For informational interviews, I've had success with both approaches. LinkedIn is great for reaching out to people in your field - I usually mention I'm exploring opportunities in IT and would appreciate 15-20 minutes of their insights. Professional associations in tech (like local user groups or meetups) are also goldmines for networking. Even virtual meetups count as work search activities if they're focused on professional networking and job opportunities. The key is documenting everything - for workshops, note the date, organization, workshop title, and what you learned. For informational interviews, record who you spoke with, their company/role, date, and any job leads or advice they provided. TWC wants to see genuine effort toward finding employment, and these activities definitely qualify!

For virtual career workshops, I've had good luck with LinkedIn Learning (they often have free workshops), local community college career centers (many offer virtual sessions that are open to the public), and professional associations in your field. For IT specifically, check out events hosted by local tech meetups - many went virtual during the pandemic and stayed that way. CompTIA also hosts free webinars that could qualify as professional development/job search activities. For informational interviews, I've done both approaches! LinkedIn has been great for reaching out to people in similar roles or at companies I'm interested in - most people are surprisingly willing to do a 15-20 minute call if you're respectful about their time. I also reached out to former colleagues who moved to different companies. The key is being genuine about seeking industry insights and job market advice, not just asking for a job directly. Just make sure to document these properly - date, person's name/title/company, what you discussed, and any job leads or advice they provided. TWC accepts these as legitimate networking activities for work search purposes.

For IT-specific virtual workshops, I've had good luck with events hosted by local tech meetups (many moved online during COVID and stayed that way), LinkedIn Learning career workshops, and free webinars through sites like Coursera or edX that focus on career development rather than just technical skills. The key is that they need to be specifically job-search or career-focused, not just general technical training. For informational interviews, I've done both approaches - reaching out to connections on LinkedIn has been more successful than cold outreach for me. I usually message something like "I'm currently job searching in [specific area] and would love to learn about opportunities at [their company] or in the industry. Would you have 15-20 minutes for a brief informational call?" Most people are surprisingly willing to help, especially if you keep it short and focused. Just make sure to document who you spoke with, when, and what you discussed about potential opportunities - TWC wants to see it's genuinely job-search related. The IT market can definitely be feast or famine, so having these backup activities in your toolkit is super valuable!

Great questions about IT-specific resources! For virtual career workshops, I've had good luck with LinkedIn Learning's career development courses (many are free), local workforce development board events (you can find these through WorkInTexas.com), and tech meetups that have moved online. Some libraries also offer virtual resume workshops and interview prep sessions that count. For informational interviews in IT, I've done both approaches. LinkedIn has been surprisingly effective for cold outreach - I usually message people with titles I'm interested in, mention I'm exploring career opportunities, and ask for 15-20 minutes of their time. Most people are pretty willing to help if you're respectful and specific about what you want to learn. Professional associations like local IT user groups or chapters of organizations like CompTIA also often have members who are open to networking conversations. The key is documenting these activities properly - for workshops, save certificates or screenshots of completion. For informational interviews, note the person's name, company, date, and what job market insights you gained. TWC wants to see you're actively working toward employment, not just checking boxes!

For IT-specific virtual workshops, I've had good luck with events through local workforce development centers (many have moved online), LinkedIn Learning sessions that include live Q&A components, and tech meetups that have job search/career development focuses. The Texas Workforce Commission website actually has a calendar of virtual events that qualify - look under their "WorkInTexas" section. For informational interviews, I did a mix of both! LinkedIn was great for reaching out to people at companies I was interested in - I'd send a brief message explaining I was exploring opportunities in their field and asking for 15-20 minutes of their time. I also attended virtual networking events for tech professionals where I could naturally start conversations about career paths and industry insights. The key is to genuinely seek advice and information rather than directly asking for jobs - but these conversations often lead to learning about openings that aren't posted yet. Just make sure to document who you spoke with, when, and what you discussed for your work search log!

For IT-specific virtual workshops, I'd recommend checking out your local workforce development boards first - they often host free career workshops that definitely count for TWC. Also, many public libraries offer virtual job search workshops and career counseling sessions. For IT specifically, look into virtual meetups on platforms like Meetup.com or Eventbrite - there are often networking events and skill-building workshops for tech professionals that would qualify. For informational interviews, I've had good luck with both approaches! LinkedIn is great for reaching out to people in your field - most professionals are surprisingly willing to do a brief 15-20 minute call to share insights about their company or industry trends. I usually mention that I'm conducting informational interviews as part of my job search process. Alumni networks from your school can also be goldmines for this. Even if the conversation doesn't lead directly to a job opportunity, TWC considers it a legitimate work search activity as long as you're genuinely seeking employment information and potential opportunities. Just make sure to document who you spoke with, when, and what job-related topics you discussed - that detail will be important if you get audited!

For IT professionals, there are some great options! LinkedIn Learning offers free virtual workshops that count - they have specific job search and networking courses. Your local workforce development board probably hosts virtual career fairs and workshops too (check their website or call). For informational interviews, I've had good luck with both approaches - reaching out to people in my LinkedIn network and also cold outreach through professional associations. The key is being genuine about seeking career advice rather than directly asking for jobs. I usually mention in my work search log something like "Informational interview with John Smith, Senior Developer at XYZ Corp, discussed industry trends and career opportunities in cloud computing" with the date and how I connected with them. TWC seems to appreciate these types of networking activities since they often lead to actual job opportunities down the road!

Great question about virtual workshops! For IT specifically, I'd recommend checking out free webinars from organizations like CompTIA, local tech meetups that have moved online, and even some of the career services workshops that community colleges offer virtually - many are open to the public. LinkedIn Learning also has career-focused courses that could qualify, especially if they're specifically about job search strategies or networking in tech. For informational interviews, I had success with both approaches. LinkedIn was great for reaching out to people in similar roles at companies I was interested in - I'd send a brief message explaining I was exploring opportunities in their field and asking if they had 15-20 minutes to share insights about their career path. I also leveraged my existing professional network and asked former colleagues if they knew anyone who might be willing to chat. Local tech user groups and professional associations were goldmines too - even virtual meetups often have networking components where you can make these connections. Just make sure to document these activities really thoroughly - who you spoke with, when, what you discussed, and any job leads or advice they provided. TWC wants to see genuine effort to network and learn about opportunities in your field.

Great question about virtual workshops! For IT professionals, I've found several good sources that TWC accepts. The Texas Workforce Commission actually hosts free virtual workshops through their local workforce boards - check your area's workforce board website. LinkedIn Learning also offers career development courses that count if they're specifically job-search related (like "Interviewing Techniques" or "Networking for IT Professionals"). For informational interviews, I've had success with both approaches. LinkedIn has been great for reaching out to people in similar roles - most IT professionals are pretty willing to chat for 15-20 minutes about their company or industry trends. I also reached out to former colleagues and used my university's alumni network. The key is being genuine about seeking career advice, not directly asking for jobs. Another IT-specific tip: attending virtual meetups for your programming language or tech stack often counts as networking for job search purposes. Many of these groups have job boards or informal job sharing, plus you're building professional relationships. Just make sure to document who you met and any job opportunities discussed. Tech Twitter spaces and Discord communities can also lead to legitimate networking opportunities if you're actively engaging about career topics.

For IT professionals, there are some great options for virtual career workshops! I've used LinkedIn Learning's career development courses (many libraries give you free access), Coursera has career-focused webinars, and don't overlook professional associations like CompTIA or local tech meetups that often host virtual networking/workshop events. The key is making sure they're specifically career-focused, not just general skill building. For informational interviews, I've had luck with both approaches. LinkedIn is great for reaching out to people in similar roles - I usually mention that I'm exploring opportunities in their company/field and ask for 15-20 minutes of their time. Local tech meetups (even virtual ones) are also goldmines for making these connections more naturally. I keep detailed notes about each conversation including who I spoke with, their role, what we discussed about potential opportunities, and any follow-up actions they suggested. TWC accepted these as valid work search activities during my audit. Also, don't forget that reaching out to IT recruiters or staffing agencies counts too - even if they don't have immediate openings, establishing that relationship is a legitimate work search activity. Good luck!

Great question about virtual career workshops! For IT specifically, I've found that many public libraries offer free career workshops that count - they often have sessions on LinkedIn optimization, interview skills, and even technical skill refreshers. The Texas Workforce Commission itself hosts virtual workshops through WorkInTexas.com that definitely qualify. Also check if your local workforce development boards have virtual events. For informational interviews, I've had success with both approaches. LinkedIn has been great for reaching out to people in similar roles - most professionals are surprisingly willing to chat for 15-20 minutes about their career path and industry insights. I also leveraged alumni networks from my college and previous employers. The key is being genuine about wanting to learn about the field/company rather than directly asking for job leads. Even if they don't have immediate openings, these conversations often lead to referrals down the line and they absolutely count as legitimate work search activities for TWC purposes. One more tip for IT - don't forget that contributing to open source projects or participating in technical meetups (even virtual ones) can sometimes count as professional development activities that support your job search, though I'd double-check with TWC on those specific examples.

For IT virtual career workshops, I've had good luck with events hosted by local tech meetups (many moved online during COVID and stayed that way), university career centers (even if you're not alumni, many are open to the public), and professional organizations like CompTIA or your local Software Development Association. LinkedIn Learning also has career-focused webinars that count, just make sure they're specifically about job searching/career development rather than just technical skills. For informational interviews, I did a mix of both! LinkedIn cold outreach worked surprisingly well - I'd message people in similar roles explaining I was exploring opportunities and asking for 15-20 minutes of their time to learn about their career path. I also reached out to former colleagues and asked if they knew anyone in companies I was interested in. The key is being genuine about wanting to learn, not just asking for job leads. Most people are happy to help if you're respectful of their time and specific about what you want to learn. Just make sure to document these activities with details like who you spoke with, their company/title, date, and what you discussed. TWC wants to see you're making genuine networking efforts, not just checking boxes.

Great question about IT-specific resources! For virtual career workshops, I've had good luck with events hosted by local workforce development centers (many have moved online since COVID), LinkedIn Learning career workshops, and industry associations like CompTIA or local tech meetups that often have "networking + career development" sessions. The Texas Workforce Commission also partners with community colleges for virtual job search workshops - you can usually find these listed on WorkInTexas.com under the "Services" section. For informational interviews, I did a mix of both approaches. LinkedIn worked really well for reaching out to people in similar roles or at companies I was interested in. I'd send a brief message explaining I was conducting a job search and wondering if they'd have 15-20 minutes to share insights about their company or the industry. Success rate was probably around 30%, but those conversations often led to learning about opportunities that weren't posted yet. I also reached out through professional contacts and former colleagues - that had a much higher success rate. The key with both activities is documenting them properly for your work search log. For workshops, I'd note the date, organization hosting, topic covered, and any follow-up actions. For informational interviews, I'd record the person's name/title, company, date/time, and key job search insights or leads discussed. TWC wants to see genuine effort toward finding employment, and these activities definitely qualify!

For IT virtual workshops, I've had good luck with events hosted by local libraries (many have moved their career services online), community colleges often have free professional development webinars, and professional organizations like CompTIA or local tech meetup groups frequently host career-focused sessions. The Texas Workforce Commission also has a calendar of virtual events on their website that are automatically accepted since they're TWC-sponsored. For informational interviews, I've done both - LinkedIn has been surprisingly effective for cold outreach if you personalize the message and explain you're doing career research rather than directly asking for a job. I usually mention I'm exploring opportunities in their company/field and ask for 15-20 minutes of their time. Professional associations in your field are also great for this - many have mentorship programs or networking events where these conversations happen naturally. Just make sure to document the person's name, title, company, date of conversation, and what you discussed about job opportunities in your field. Even if they don't lead to immediate job openings, these conversations often provide valuable industry insights and sometimes lead to referrals later!

Great question about virtual career workshops! For IT professionals, I've found several good options that TWC accepts. LinkedIn Learning often has live career development sessions (not just the recorded courses), and they provide certificates of completion which is good documentation. The local workforce development boards also host virtual job search workshops - you can find these through WorkInTexas.com under their events section. For informational interviews, I've had success with both approaches. LinkedIn is great for reaching out to people in similar roles - I usually mention I'm currently job searching and ask for 15-20 minutes of their time to learn about their career path and industry insights. Most people are surprisingly willing to help! I've also reconnected with former colleagues and asked if they'd be open to a brief chat about opportunities in their current companies. Professional associations in IT (like local chapters of CompTIA, IEEE, or language-specific groups) often have virtual networking events too. Even if you don't land a job directly from these, the networking activity itself counts toward your work search requirement. Just make sure to document who you spoke with and what you discussed about potential opportunities.

For IT-specific virtual workshops, I've had good luck with events through local workforce development boards - many Texas cities offer free virtual career workshops that definitely count for TWC requirements. The Texas Workforce Commission also hosts webinars periodically. LinkedIn Learning courses related to job searching or career development can count too if they're specifically focused on finding employment (not just general skill building). For informational interviews in IT, I found LinkedIn to be really effective - I'd search for people in similar roles at companies I was interested in and send polite messages explaining I was exploring opportunities in the field. Most people are surprisingly willing to chat for 15-20 minutes about their company culture and what they look for in candidates. Local tech meetups (even virtual ones) are another great source - you can often connect with hiring managers or recruiters who are happy to share insights about the current market. Just make sure to document these conversations with names, dates, and what job opportunities or advice were discussed since TWC wants to see the employment-focused aspect of the networking.

Great question about virtual workshops! For IT professionals, I'd recommend checking out: 1. Texas Workforce Commission's own virtual workshops - they have tech-specific ones sometimes 2. Local library systems often host career workshops (many went virtual and stayed that way) 3. Professional associations like CompTIA, IEEE, or local tech meetups 4. University career centers (many are open to community members) 5. Workforce Solutions offices in your area - they frequently have industry-specific workshops For informational interviews, I've had success with both approaches. LinkedIn is great for warm connections - reach out to people in your field with a genuine message about seeking industry insights (not directly asking for jobs). I also found that alumni networks from any schools you attended can be goldmines. Even community college alumni networks can be helpful! The key with TWC is documenting these activities properly - for workshops, save your registration confirmation and completion certificate. For informational interviews, note the person's name, title, company, date/time of conversation, and what you discussed about the job market in your field. This shows you're actively working to understand your industry and expand your network, which is exactly what they want to see.

For virtual career workshops, I've had good luck with events hosted by local workforce development centers (many moved online during COVID and stayed that way), LinkedIn Learning sessions that include live Q&A components, and industry-specific webinars through professional associations. For IT specifically, I'd check out events through your local American Job Center, CompTIA chapter meetings, or even some of the free webinars that staffing agencies like TEKsystems or Robert Half host - just make sure they're interactive/educational rather than just sales pitches. For informational interviews, I found LinkedIn to be surprisingly effective for cold outreach if you craft a genuine message explaining you're exploring career opportunities in their field. I also reached out to former colleagues who had moved to companies I was interested in. The key is being upfront that you're seeking career advice rather than asking for a job directly. Most people are pretty willing to spend 15-20 minutes sharing their experience, especially if you're respectful of their time and come prepared with specific questions. Just make sure to document these activities with the same detail you'd use for job applications - date, person you spoke with, company they work for, and what insights you gained about potential opportunities in your field!

Great question about IT career workshops! I've found some good options through your local workforce development board (they often have free virtual workshops), LinkedIn Learning has career-focused sessions that count, and many professional IT organizations like CompTIA or local tech meetups offer job search workshops. The key is making sure they're specifically focused on job search skills or career development, not just technical training. For informational interviews, I've had success with both approaches. LinkedIn is great for reaching out to people in similar roles - most people are surprisingly willing to help if you're polite and specific about what you're looking for. I usually mention that I'm conducting informational interviews as part of my job search (which is true) and ask for 15-20 minutes of their time. Local tech meetups and professional groups are also goldmines for this - even virtual networking events where you have one-on-one conversations about career opportunities count. Just make sure to document everything properly - who you spoke with, when, what you learned about potential opportunities, etc. TWC seems to really appreciate when you can show you're being strategic about your job search, not just applying randomly!

For virtual career workshops, I've had good luck with a few different sources that TWC accepts. Your local workforce development board often hosts free virtual workshops - you can find these through WorkInTexas.com under the "Events" section. Many public libraries also offer career development webinars that count. LinkedIn Learning has some career-focused courses, and if you complete one and can show it was specifically for job searching skills, that usually qualifies too. For IT specifically, I'd recommend checking out local tech meetups that have moved online - many have networking components that qualify as work search activities. Also, professional associations like local chapters of CompTIA or IEEE often host virtual career events. As for informational interviews, I've done both approaches. LinkedIn has been great for reaching out to people in similar roles - I usually send a polite message explaining I'm exploring opportunities in the field and asking for 15-20 minutes of their time to learn about their career path. I've also had success reaching out to alumni networks if you went to college. Just make sure to document the date, person's name, company, and what you discussed about potential job opportunities - that's what TWC wants to see if they audit you.

For IT-specific virtual workshops, I've had good luck with events hosted by local tech meetups (many moved online during COVID and stayed that way), LinkedIn Learning workshops that have live components, and career services offered through local community colleges - they often host virtual sessions that are open to the public. The Texas Workforce Commission also hosts virtual job fairs and workshops that you can find on their events calendar. For informational interviews, I did a mix of both. LinkedIn was surprisingly effective for cold outreach - I'd send a brief message explaining I was exploring opportunities in [specific area] and asking if they'd be willing to share 15-20 minutes of insights about their company/role. I probably had about a 30% response rate, which was better than I expected. Professional networks through previous colleagues or industry contacts had a much higher success rate though. One tip: when documenting these activities for your work search log, be specific about what you learned or discussed that relates to your job search. TWC wants to see that these were genuine efforts to advance your employment prospects, not just casual conversations.

Welcome to the community! For spreadsheet organization, I'd recommend keeping one running log with all activities in chronological order - it's easier to search and reference during an audit. You can use filters to view specific date ranges if needed. I include columns for: Date, Week Ending (to make sure I hit 3 per week), Company, Position, Method, Contact Info, and Notes. Regarding WorkInTexas.com updates - yes, they definitely count! You can update your profile, upload new resumes, modify job preferences, add skills/certifications, etc. Just don't overdo it - maybe once every week or two at most, and make sure the updates are substantial and genuine. I usually save this as a backup activity for weeks when job postings in my field are scarce. One tip: create a simple naming system for any screenshots or documents you save (like "2025-03-31_Company-Position_Application" for files) so everything stays organized. Good luck with your job search!