Job Search Diary

You have been assigned by a child support order to participate in programming through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Non-Custodial Parent Services Unit. Your full participation in assigned programming is essential to comply with your order. The department will monitor your participation.

Reports describing your cooperation with assigned programming will be used by the Attorney General or a State’s Attorney’s Office and the department to determine further action in your child support case.

You are to use this Job Search Diary to record your job search activities. The completion of the required information will help you to develop meaningful job search skills and serve as a record of your activities.

By keeping an accurate record, the information will be used to show the court and the department what your recent job search efforts have been. All information provided is reviewed to determine if further action is needed to address your current child support order.

The Job Search staff will enter a start date and a return date in the Case Information Section (pdf). The start date represents your date of referral to Job Search and should correspond to the date that your Job Search Diary is issued. The return date is the date that the Job Search Diary and Case Information Chart are due back to the Non-Custodial Parent Services, Job Search Unit.

The Job Search Diary (pdf) form is available for download in Portable Document Format (PDF). In order to view or print these files in the PDF format, you will need Adobe’s Acrobat Reader®. You will need to download and install the Acrobat Reader, which is available from Adobe’s Web site, on your computer. Click on the Adobe® Icon for the free download.

1. The date of contact is the actual date that you speak with, or fill out an application with, a potential employer.

2. Enter the type of employer contact by using a two-letter contact code. These codes are printed at the bottom of each page of the Job Search Diary.

3. Print the:

1. company/employer’s full name;

2. address (include the suite or room number);

3. city, state, zip code;

4. telephone number;

5. name and title of the person you contacted;

6. position applied for;

4. In the comments section, describe any immediate or pending results.

5. Provide a follow-up date for any further action.

You are required to return the Job Search Diary in person or by mail, every thirty (30) days or as required by the provision of your court or administrative order. Return the completed booklet to:

Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services

Division of Child Support Services

Parent Support Services Unit

PO Box 64629

Chicago, Illinois 60664-0629

312-793-7987

Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services

Division of Child Support Services

Non-Custodial Parent Services Unit

32 West Randolph Street, Room 1100

Chicago, Illinois 60601

312-793-7987

If you complete your Job Search Diary before the return date, you may use additional paper to record your job search activities up to the return date, or you may send the booklet to the mailing address listed above or bring to the office location and receive a new one. For diaries received by mail, a new diary will be mailed to you within five (5) days of the department’s receipt of the completed one.

Diaries that are not received by the deadline will be considered in default and may lead to a report of non-cooperation being forwarded to the court. Non-cooperation can and will be utilized by the court to determine further actions needed in your case.

The Job Search staff will verify with potential employers the information that you provide in your entries. The Job Search staff will also provide a report to the court regarding your participation. False information will be investigated and utilized to determine further action needed to address your child support order.

You must establish a schedule that allows you to spend time looking for the job you want. A good rule: If you are looking for a full-time job, you must spend full-time looking for it.

Regardless of your past experience, a good resume can help to get you a job interview. Use a resume or a personal data sheet to summarize your work history. Explain your education and work experience in terms of an employer’s needs. Your resume becomes your business card. It tells a potential employer that you are seeking employment and what type of work you can do.

The best source for jobs is people who have them. Ask your friends, neighbors and others about their jobs. You can learn when a company is hiring, and where and how to fill out applications, or get an interview. You should also ask your friends, neighbors and others for permission to use them as references. References increase an employer’s confidence in your ability. References should be given only with permission of the individuals named. The name, address and telephone numbers of your references may be listed on your resume or data sheet.

Prepare a prospect list of companies that are expanding. Eliminate from your list, companies that are laying off workers.

Many large firms send job interviewers to colleges or other locations. Your manners, presentation and appearance are as important at these interviews as they are at an employer’s personnel office.

Ask the Illinois Department of Employment Security, any community-based job placement agency, or other agency that does job placement, to help you find a job.

When you receive a response to your application, acknowledge the response immediately. When you’re invited for an interview, accept the invitation and confirm the meeting details. After the interview, send a goodwill message thanking the interviewer and restating your interest in employment