West Virginia Work Search Requirements
You Must Register for Work with a Job Service/WorkForce West
Virginia Center or American Job Center network
WorkForce West Virginia offers a number of services to the public in addition
to the Unemployment Compensation Program. One of our other services is a
statewide system of public employment offices to help jobseekers. A Job
Service/WorkForce West Virginia Center office often is located in the same
building as your unemployment claims office.
The primary function of a Job Service/WorkForce West Virginia Center or
American Job Center network office is to help employers who are seeking
workers and applicants who are seeking employment. Many local employers
list their openings with one of these centers to bring available jobs and
applicants together. The Job Service/WorkForce West Virginia Center offers
job-seeker services consisting of referrals to job opportunities, vocational
counseling, resume preparation and other special services, for which there no
charge.
Unless you belong to a union hiring hall that has a business agent who looks
for work for you, are partially unemployed and filing with a Low Earnings
Report, have a return-to-work date within four (4) weeks which is verified by
your local office, in approved training, or on jury duty, you must register with
your nearest Job Service/WorkForce West Virginia Center or American Job
Center network office prior to filing for your sixth week of benefits. Failure to
do so may result in a denial of benefits
You Must Actively Seek Full-Time Work Each Week
According to West Virginia Unemployment Compensation Law, you are eligible
to receive benefits only if you are doing that which a reasonably prudent
person in the same circumstances would do in seeking work. Each week, you
must make an active job search to find work. The number of weekly contacts
you should make depends upon your occupation and the condition of the labor
market. As your length of unemployment increases, you must be willing to
expand your work search. This means you may have to consider taking work
outside your preferred field, and be willing to accept other jobs for which you
are qualified. You also may have to be willing to accept a lower wage than you
wanted when you first became unemployed.
You may use the methods of seeking work that are customary in your
occupation. However, to increase the likelihood of being successful in
obtaining employment, you should undertake a variety of methods in seeking
work. In certain professions, submitting resumes is the usual and customary
means of obtaining work. If you work in such an occupation, this is a
satisfactory method of showing that you are actively seeking work. If you
belong to a union with a business agent that finds work for you, you must be a
member in good standing and do what your union requires to be subject to call
when jobs are available.
Contacting employers by telephone who may reasonably be expected to have
openings in work in which you are qualified to perform is an acceptable job
contact. However, these contacts should involve, when possible, contact with
persons with the apparent authority to hire. Generally as a rule, calling an
employer on the telephone simply to inquire if s/he is hiring is not a good
method to secure leads for employment. Potential leads for employment
should be followed up with the employer using their preferred method of
application (such as a resume, email, written application, etc.).
Checking want ads, using Internet based employment searches, and attending
job fairs are acceptable methods for seeking work. To count as a work
contact, you must make an independent effort to talk to the person or firm that
placed the ad and/or submit an application or resume. When submitting
applications or resumes by mail, fax or via the Internet, document all relevant
information pertaining to the search, such as address, position sought, name
and title of employer, date mailed, web address, fax numbers, etc. Save
emails or confirmation faxes for your records.
Failure to make required job contacts and/or failure to register timely, by the
deadline provided, will result in a denial of benefits. You are required to keep
a written record of your weekly job contacts and be prepared to furnish this
record should your claim be randomly selected for review. The back of this
handbook provides a sample form for documenting your job contacts. This
form is not exclusive of the types of information you should be recording; you
should add all pertinent information you feel would be useful if your claim is
randomly selected for review.
If you are in a training program that has been approved by our Agency, or on
jury duty, the work search policy may be suspended. (See “How Attendance
of School or Training Affects a Claim”). If you are claiming Extended
Benefits, there are additional requirements that will be explained when you
apply for benefits under that program.
Tips on Seeking Work
The best method to use in seeking work depends, to some extent, on the kind
of work you do. The following suggestions apply to most occupations. Apply
in person, whenever possible. Ask to speak to the person who does the
hiring. Have a neat, clean appearance. Avoid seeking work during the lunch
hour, or near quitting time. Take a written record of your past employment so
that you can complete an application, if required. Complete an application
and leave it, or a current resume, if the company will accept it. Do not expect
an employer to consider hiring you if you call on the telephone and ask about
work. Most employers will not offer work to people they have never seen. Do
not contact the same employer every week if you are told that the employer is
not hiring. Make repeat contacts only if an employer encourages you to
check back later.
Tips on Handling a Job Interview
If you want to make a good impression at a job interview, be prompt. Do not
take others with you to the interview. For many jobs, your personal
appearance is important. Be neat, clean, and as a rule, be dressed as
though you were to start work immediately. Avoid nervous mannerisms, such
as chewing gum or jingling coins in your pocket. Many office buildings are
smoke-free workplaces, so do not use tobacco, electronic cigarettes, or
vaporizers during your interview. Be business-like. Answer questions
honestly. Be ready to talk about the kinds of work you have done and the
skills you have to offer. Be realistic when discussing wages. Be prepared to
furnish names and addresses of former employers, the dates you worked for
each, your references, and any permits or licenses you have.