My Work Search Diary custom template

I am going to make a work search diary in a notebook or maybe on word type doc and print it off each time i go to my work search reviews.

The old unemployment movement website had a good template.

Just wondoring if anyone got link to good template?

Here is the old type of Job Search diary the JCP used to issue me (in 2015). However, the current Roach doesn't like it! Even thou I thought I could give my job search on some toilet roll if I choose .. I hope this helps @mark9999

Job Search Activity Log that I use at fortnightly JCP interviews with coach:

Haven’t got a clue how to reproduce it on here like Pintel has done but here’s a simple description:

1. On a computer; take a standard A4 page.

2. Leaving space at top of page for titles, cover the rest with horizontal lines, to look like any A4 notepad page.

3. Make 3 vertical columns, first, narrow, for ‘Date’, second, wide, for ‘Action/Activity Undertaken’, third, narrow for ‘Time Spent’:

Jobsearch Activity Log

Steps taken to find work:  Between…...........and…............…

Date         Action/Activity Undertaken………       Time Spent


That's it. I get the print out of the template and fill in the 'evidence' fortnightly by hand. I suppose the 'evidence' could be filled in before printing out as well but I don't.


As 'evidence' of jobs found and applied for I write down the details on a separate page:

Agency:
Job Title:
Job ID:
Location:
Date Posted:
Application via Link

I've had no complaints so far but one or two coaches remarked that they would be happier if more claimants' 'evidence' were as well presented.

By the way I get them to sign or initial each page. One or two were reluctant to do this at first but I insisted on it. If it ever becomes necessary I will have written proof that coaches were accepting my 'evidence of job searching activity.

I made myself a web app that crawls five or six different job sites for jobs during certain nights, adds those jobs which matches a bunch of keywords (jobs that I can do) and adds those jobs to a local database. I then use a script to list all jobs that I can click on which takes me to each job application. Then I use user script (like Greasemonkey) to automatically apply for each job. My scripts then adds each job along with which website and date to a text file. Before each sign on my script generates a list of last two weeks jobs that I can print and show my work coach.

Doing job search online takes about 5 minutes each days for roughly 6-7 jobs. The time I saved I can spend on more quality job search for jobs that I actually want. Jobs that I wouldn't want the Jobcentre to know about so they can contact the employer and ruin my chances.

Maybe not much help, but hopefully could inspire someone else to make something similar. I had thoughts of making my app public, but I decided not to. Not sure how legal it is to crawl jobsites twice a week.

I had to read your post several times just to make sure that my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

You have developed an Automated Job Search app that searches 5 or 6 different job sites?

You prompt it to look for specific job types using a keyword, eg ‘Production’
or ‘Manufacturing’?

It lists all jobs found and adds them to a database?

It then applies for each job found?

It then adds details of all jobs found and applied for to a text file?

Text file can then be printed out and shown as evidence of job search activity to coach?

It all takes about 5 or 6 minutes?

Sounds too good to be true, wish I could figure out how to even start such a project.

Wouldn’t worry to much about legality. DWP expects us to spend 35 hours per week trawling bloody employment agency sites for goodness sake.

It is estimated that around 16 million people on benefits will be on UC by the time it becomes fully operational, if it ever does. Most will have to commit to job seeking activity.

An app like yours would be worth E10 of anybody’s money.
16 million @ £10 a head = £160,000,000

You could afford to write to your coach on a £100 note that you don’t wish to see him/her anymore.

Pretty much. It's not completely automated as I still have to pick a few jobs each day. But the jobs I choose my script then automatically applies for by logging in my user if necessary, applying CV and such. It doesn't work for jobs on employer websites - but more like 1-click apply jobs.

It's a bit like this app: http://automation.strikenow.org.uk/ but I don't think it works anymore as UJM was scrapped some time ago.

I wish I could let everyone use my app. It's not DWP I am worried about but the job sites. They are not too keen on automated bots crawling their websites, at least they won't like someone selling a tool to quickly gather & apply jobs on their websites. Also currently the web app requires access to a web server and it requires a bit of setup.

Jara:

Creating apps or programmes that do things are way out of my league. I’m sure those who are familiar with the intricacies involved could resolve and overcome any technical glitches.

I’ve never heard of the UJM app either but could it not be possible to adapt it for, say, CV Library or some similar employment search engine?

Anyway, good luck with developing your app and I hope it will turn out to be advantageous to you one day.

Afraid I have no idea about the legal implications of use of automated bots, browsers or servers either.

Looks like we're going to be using the old job search methods for some time to come.