Do phone interviews with recruiters count as job search activities for ESD weekly claims?
Had a really long phone call (36 minutes) with a recruiter yesterday who contacted me about a potential position. We discussed my background, the company, and what they're looking for. I'm filing my weekly claim tomorrow and wondering if this counts as one of my job search activities? The recruiter reached out to me first, so I don't have a job posting I applied to. I'm worried ESD might reject it since I didn't technically "apply" for anything specific. Has anyone counted recruiter interviews in their job search log? What category would this fall under?
14 comments
Join the conversation
Nathaniel Mikhaylov
i think it counts. ive had a few calls w/ recruiters and put them down in my job search. never had any issues. just make sure u write down the recruiters name and contact info and details bout the call
0 coins
Melody Miles
•Thanks! Do you remember which activity type you selected when you entered it? They have so many options and none seem exactly right for a recruiter call.
0 coins
Eva St. Cyr
This absolutely counts as a job search activity. You should log it as "Job Interview" in your job search log, even though it was preliminary. Make sure to document: - Recruiter's full name - Company name (both the recruiting firm AND the company they're recruiting for) - Recruiter's phone number and email - Date and length of conversation - Brief description of position discussed ESD considers substantive conversations with recruiters as valid activities since they're directly related to obtaining employment. If you're ever audited, having detailed notes about the conversation will help verify it was legitimate job-seeking activity.
0 coins
Melody Miles
•This is super helpful, thank you! I wasn't sure if "Job Interview" was the right category since it felt more like an initial screening, but I'll use that. I did take notes during the call, so I have most of those details you mentioned. Just to be safe, should I also follow up with an email to the recruiter to have a paper trail?
0 coins
Eva St. Cyr
•Yes, following up with an email is an excellent idea! This creates a documented paper trail that shows the conversation happened and demonstrates your continued interest. In your follow-up, thank the recruiter for their time, express interest in opportunities discussed, and perhaps reference a specific point from your conversation to show it was substantial. Save this email in case you need it for verification later. Maintaining good documentation is key for ESD requirements.
0 coins
Kristian Bishop
Be careful with this. ESD is really picky about job search activities!! I had a recruiter call that got rejected during an audit because I couldn't prove it was for a specific job opening rather than just a "get to know you" call. Better to use activities that have a paper trail like actual applications.
0 coins
Kaitlyn Otto
•That's not entirely accurate. While documentation is important, ESD does accept recruiter interactions as valid job search activities if properly documented. The key distinction is whether the conversation was substantive and focused on specific employment opportunities versus a generic "adding you to our database" type call. From ESD's guidelines, qualifying activities include "contact with an industry professional or employer directly related to getting a job." A 36-minute detailed conversation certainly meets this criteria. If you document the specifics (date, time, contact info, position details discussed) and ideally have some follow-up email correspondence, this is completely valid and will pass an audit.
0 coins
Kristian Bishop
•Well that wasn't my experience AT ALL. They denied mine and I had notes. Maybe the auditor was just having a bad day but they were super strict about everything. Just don't want OP to risk their benefits over something so subjective!
0 coins
Axel Far
I've been dealing with ESD for MONTHS and their job search requirements are honestly ridiculous. One week they accept something, the next week they don't. It's like they WANT to deny people benefits. I had three recruiter calls rejected because they said I needed to apply directly to jobs. The whole system is broken. Good luck getting a straight answer from anyone at ESD about this - you literally can't even get through to them on the phone!!!
0 coins
Jasmine Hernandez
•Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to ESD? I was stuck in the same boat trying to get clarification on job search activities for weeks. Couldn't get anyone on the phone. Found this service at claimyr.com that got me connected to an actual ESD agent in about 25 minutes instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to sort out confusion about my job search activities.
0 coins
Axel Far
•THANK YOU!! I've never heard of this before but I'm definitely checking it out. I'm so tired of getting hung up on by their automated system every single time. Anything is worth a try at this point!
0 coins
Luis Johnson
When I was on unemployment last year I counted recruiter calls as "Job Interview" activities and had no problems. Just log all the details you can and you should be fine. ESD knows that recruiters are a normal part of the job search process, especially in certain industries. A 36-minute call is definitely substantial enough to count!
0 coins
Melody Miles
•Thanks for sharing your experience! That makes me feel better about using that category. What industry are you in? I'm in tech and it seems like so much hiring happens through recruiters now.
0 coins
Luis Johnson
•I'm in healthcare administration, but I have friends in tech who do the same. You're right that tech hiring is very recruiter-heavy! Just make sure you're also doing some direct applications each week too, so you have a mix of activity types. ESD likes to see variety in your job search efforts.
0 coins