How to submit job search for unemployment online through Washington ESD system

Oh wow, so I've been stressing about nothing? I thought there was some portal I was missing. What format should I keep my records in?

Just keep a simple spreadsheet or written log with date, employer name, position applied for, how you contacted them (online, phone, in person), and the result. Washington ESD has a form you can use but any organized record works.

I know right? The whole eServices portal is a mess. Half the time I can't even get my weekly claim to submit properly.

exactly! and when you call to ask questions you just get hung up on or put on hold forever

If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD by phone, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual agent. Check out claimyr.com - they have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of calling.

Thank you! That's really helpful. Do you know if online courses count toward the 3 activities?

Yes, skills training including online courses can count as job search activities, but check with WorkSource to make sure the specific course qualifies. Not all online training meets Washington ESD requirements.

What happened during your audit? I'm terrified of getting one because I'm not sure my job search log is detailed enough.

They just asked me to mail in copies of my job search log for a specific 4-week period. Took about 2 weeks to review and then my benefits continued normally. Just make sure you have real employers and real positions you applied for.

Seriously! I spent 2 hours looking for where to report earnings last week. Finally found it buried in some random menu.

And good luck trying to call them for help. The phone system just hangs up on you half the time.

Is that like a paid service? I'm already broke from being unemployed.

It does cost something but honestly after wasting weeks trying to get through on my own, it was worth it to actually talk to a human being who could help with my claim.

Exactly right. And make sure your activities are legitimate - Washington ESD can verify them if needed.

Yep, that's the system. Keep good records and you'll be fine. The online submission confusion trips up a lot of people.

RIGHT?? Why is everything so backwards here? Makes an already stressful situation even worse.

At least we still have unemployment benefits. Some states have made it nearly impossible to qualify.

That's a great idea! I didn't know WorkSource tracked that information. Thanks!

WorkSource also has career counselors who can help with your job search strategy. Meeting with them counts as one of your weekly activities too.

That's reassuring. I've been so paranoid about doing something wrong and losing my benefits.

nah you're overthinking it. as long as you're genuinely looking for work and keeping records you'll be fine

Thanks! I'll look that up. Should have started there instead of panicking about online submissions.

The fact sheet is helpful but still doesn't make the whole system any less confusing. Washington ESD really needs to modernize their whole operation.

How detailed do the records need to be? I've been pretty basic with just company name and date.

They want company name, position applied for, date, method of contact (online, phone, in person), and result if any. Doesn't need to be a novel, just the facts.

Volunteer work generally doesn't count unless it's directly related to gaining skills for your target occupation. Work-related training or networking events would be better choices for meeting the requirement.

I think some volunteer activities can count if they help with job skills, but you'd need to check with WorkSource to be sure about specific situations.

Good to know! I'll check out their workshop schedule. Might actually be helpful for my job search too.

The WorkSource workshops are actually pretty good. Way more useful than I expected when I was forced to attend one.

Yeah, standby status has different rules. You usually don't need to do the 3 weekly activities if you're expecting to return to your job within a reasonable timeframe.

I'm not on standby, just regular unemployment, so the 3 activities apply to me. But good point for others who might be reading this.

You're welcome! I felt so dumb thinking I was missing something obvious. Turns out the system is just confusing.

Don't feel dumb - their website is genuinely confusing. Even the people who work there sometimes don't know where things are located.

How quickly were you able to get through using that service?

Usually within 30 minutes or so, compared to the hours I was spending trying to call on my own. Made a huge difference when I needed help with my adjudication issue.

Same here! I was spending way too much time searching through every menu on that website thinking I missed something. Your Google Sheet idea sounds perfect - I've been using a basic Word document but a spreadsheet would be so much more organized. Did you include any other columns beyond those five? I'm thinking maybe adding a "follow-up date" column might be helpful too.

That's a great idea about the follow-up column! I actually do have a couple extra columns - one for "application method" (like Indeed, company website, etc.) and another for "next steps" where I note if they said they'd call back or if I should follow up. The follow-up date column would be really useful too. I also color-code the rows - green for interviews scheduled, yellow for pending responses, and red for rejections. Makes it easy to see my progress at a glance and helps when I need to prioritize follow-ups.