Accepted job offer but start date is weeks away - how to handle job search requirements and interview requests?

Congrats on the job! Yes, you absolutely need to keep doing your job search activities until your actual start date. ESD requires those 3 activities weekly until you're officially employed. About the interviews - technically you should still attend them if offered. You can always be honest with the interviewer about your situation at the end of the interview. This maintains your compliance with job search requirements while being ethical with potential employers.

im in the same boat right now lol. got a job starting sept 5 but still have 3 weeks of unemployment to go. ive been doing my job searches but kinda just applying to jobs im overqualified for so i dont get interviews haha. probably not the best advice but its working for me so far

I worked at WorkSource for 5 years, so I can give you accurate info. You must continue your job search activities until your actual first day of work. However, you can report your job offer to ESD and request "standby" status, which might waive the job search requirement. With your start date only being a few weeks away, you may qualify. Otherwise, yes, you need to continue searching and attending interviews if offered. If you DO attend an interview, you should be honest with the employer at the START of the interview that you've accepted another position but are required to maintain job search activities for unemployment. Most employers will understand and appreciate your honesty rather than feeling their time was wasted.

The SAME EXACT thing happened to me last year!!! I got a job that didn't start for 6 weeks and ESD was being SO DIFFICULT about everything. I kept getting interviews and had to go to them even though I already had a job lined up. Such a waste of everyone's time!!! The system is completely broken and nobody at ESD cares about real people's situations. I ended up getting DISQUALIFIED for a week because they said one of my job search activities wasn't valid, even though I followed their stupid rules!!!

I've been trying to reach ESD to ask this exact question for days but can't get through. Always busy signals or disconnections after waiting for 2+ hours. Has anyone found a good way to actually speak to a human being there? I need to ask about this and several other issues with my claim.

To address your original question more directly - yes, you should still go to interviews if offered. But there's a practical side to this: you can list job applications as your work search activities without necessarily targeting positions you're highly qualified for. Focus on positions that match your skills but where you might not be the top candidate. This maintains compliance without creating awkward interview situations. Just make sure all activities are legitimate and documentable in case of an audit.

wait so if i accept a job but it doesnt start for like a month i still have to do job searches every week? thats so dumb lol

I remember when this happened to me last year! I just kept doing my job searches but mostly applied to positions that closed soon or had been open a while. Then when I certified each week I made sure to report that I had accepted a job with a future start date in the section where they ask if anything has changed. Never had any problems with it. Congrats on the new job!

Just want to add another perspective - I was in a similar situation a few months ago with a 5-week gap between accepting a job and starting. I called ESD and they told me that as long as I'm honest about having accepted a position when I certify weekly, and I continue doing my required job search activities, I wouldn't have any issues. The key is transparency. I ended up getting two interview requests during that period and I was upfront with both employers right at the beginning of the call/email that I had accepted another position but was required to maintain job search activities. One employer actually appreciated my honesty and said they'd keep me in mind for future openings. The other just thanked me for my time and ended the call. No drama, no wasted time for anyone. Good luck with your new job!

This is such great advice from everyone! I'm actually in a very similar situation - just accepted a position that starts in mid-September but need to keep collecting benefits until then. The standby status option that Liam mentioned is something I definitely want to look into. Has anyone here actually used the standby status successfully? I'm curious about what documentation they require and how long the approval process takes. Also, for those who went through interviews during the waiting period, did any employers seem annoyed when you disclosed your situation upfront, or were most understanding like CosmicVoyager described?

I just went through this exact situation about two months ago! Had a job offer with a 6-week wait until start date. Here's what worked for me: I immediately reported the job acceptance when I certified that week, kept doing my 3 job search activities religiously, and when I got interview requests (which happened twice), I was completely upfront in my initial response email. I'd say something like "Thank you for your interest in my application. I want to be transparent that I have accepted another position starting [date], but I'm required to maintain job search activities until my start date. I'm happy to interview if you'd still like to meet, but wanted you to have this information upfront." Both employers thanked me for my honesty - one still wanted to interview for future reference, the other politely declined. No issues with ESD at all. The key is just being completely honest with everyone involved. You've got this!

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago! Got a job offer in June but couldn't start until September due to background checks and their hiring cycle. I was so worried about messing up my benefits in those final weeks. Here's what I learned: definitely keep doing your 3 job search activities religiously - ESD doesn't care that you have a future job, only that you're not currently working. I got 4 interview requests during my waiting period and used a similar approach to what StarGazer101 mentioned. I'd respond immediately with something like "Thank you for considering me. I want to be upfront that I've accepted a position starting [date] but am required to continue job searching until then. Happy to interview if you're still interested, but wanted you to know my situation." Two employers still wanted to meet (one even offered me a better position!), and two thanked me and moved on. The transparency actually opened doors - one of those employers reached out 6 months later with another opportunity. Stay honest, keep documenting everything, and you'll be fine!

I'm currently in a similar situation - just accepted a position that starts in early September but need to maintain benefits until then. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! The email template that StarGazer101 and Carmen shared is perfect - professional and transparent. I had no idea about the standby status option that Liam mentioned, so I'm definitely going to call ESD tomorrow to ask about that. It's reassuring to hear from so many people who've navigated this successfully. The key takeaways seem to be: stay compliant with job search requirements, be upfront about your situation when certifying weekly, and be honest with employers from the very first contact if you get interview requests. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread is going to help a lot of people in this situation!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation - accepted a position that doesn't start until September 15th, so I have about 6 weeks to navigate the unemployment requirements. The email template everyone's sharing is gold - being upfront from the first contact seems like the smartest approach for everyone involved. I had no clue about the standby status option either, so that's definitely my first call to ESD tomorrow morning. One question for those who've been through this - when you reported having accepted a job during weekly certification, did it trigger any additional questions or reviews from ESD? I want to make sure I'm prepared for any follow-up they might have. Really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences here - it's making this whole process feel much less overwhelming!

I'm currently in this exact situation too! Just accepted a position that starts September 10th, so still have about 5 weeks of benefits to navigate. This thread has been incredibly valuable - I had no idea about the standby status option and definitely plan to call ESD about that tomorrow. The email template everyone's sharing for handling interview requests is perfect. I've been worried about wasting employers' time, but it sounds like being upfront from the very first contact actually builds respect rather than burning bridges. Really appreciate everyone who took the time to share their real experiences here. It's amazing how this community helps each other through these tricky situations that the official ESD website doesn't really explain clearly!

This thread has been such a goldmine of information! I'm in a nearly identical situation - just accepted a position starting August 15th, so I have about 3 weeks left on unemployment. The standby status option that Liam mentioned could be perfect for my timeline since it's under 4 weeks. I'm definitely calling ESD first thing tomorrow to ask about that. The email template everyone's sharing is brilliant - I've been stressing about how to handle potential interview requests professionally while being honest. It's really encouraging to hear that most employers actually appreciate the transparency rather than being annoyed by it. One quick question for those who've done this - when you call ESD about standby status, do you need your official offer letter in hand, or can you provide that documentation later? Want to make sure I have everything ready before I call. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed real-world experiences - this community is amazing!