In an economic downturn, it is important to keep organized, systematic and focused in your job search. 

Here are some tips and tricks: 

1. Create a spreadsheet to track your applications.

2. Always have at least 15 applications in the pipeline.

3. Mock interview at least 3 days a week.

4. Share your list with a friend to keep yourself honest.

5. Practice with others (see mock interviews above). I repeat this on purpose.

6. Don’t be too picky with your applications, you need practice interviews.*

7. Network

*The best job I ever had was a practice interview that turned into an offer I wanted. 

Let’s Dive In… 

Track Your Applications

If you are looking for a place to get started, try this spreadsheet template. I have been experimenting with drag-downs that describe the various stages (including a number of signs of rejection - for example ghosting after an interview.) You will see I have columns for notes and categorize applications in a number of ways. Feel free to make a copy and customize it. If you come up with something interesting that works better, let me know. 

Always have 15 applications in the pipeline

I don’t remember where I read it, maybe it was Jackie Bravo, but you should have at least 2 weeks, one per day, leads in your pipeline. It is best if you apply to one or two roles per day. I have a bad habit of doing it in chunks, so I always have a day every few weeks where I have to apply a lot to keep the numbers up. Yep, this means there are a lot of low quality jobs in my pipeline, but it doesn’t matter, especially in a downturn. You need to keep it up and this is a nice, and effective forcing function. If you end up getting a call back, at the very least it was good practice. 

Mock interview at least 3 days a week. 

PM interviews are some of the toughest out there. You must practice, and doing it on your own doesn’t count. You can practice to work on skills but to really prepare, you need that feeling of embracing yourself in front of a stranger. Get beyond the nerves. Get feedback, even if it is just self reflection. After a while you may feel no one challenges you, but you still need to practice with a stranger. Learn more about mock interview groups for PMs here. 

Share your list with a friend.

You want to avoid feeling depressed and alone. Find a friend. Or a partner in the mock interview groups. Share your spreadsheet. I share mine with clients so they can see they are not alone but also to keep myself honest. 

Practice with others

See above. I repeat it because I have had too many clients do a session or two and then go off on their own and fail their interviews. You MUST practice with others. It is key and a game changer. Few get roles without practice. Interviewing is a skill and it gets rusty quicker than you realize.  

Don’t be too picky

Not every application on your list will be your dream job, particulalry in a downturn. But you increase your odds by increasing your application numbers. And who knows, maybe you find the best job of your life by accident. 

Network

This is the most difficult of the steps for many people. The more senior you are, the more important. You can ask friends of friends for intros. Go to networking events with speed rounds. Use your alumni database. In a downturn, fewer recruiters reach out. And the signal to noise ratio is out of wack for recruiters, so networking helps you get the in you need to at least be seen. Many senior roles are decided before they are posted, so networking can help you get an early in.