Job search strategy: a weekly plan that gets interviews

Set the target first

Write down the two or three roles you want, the industries that hire for them, and a list of 30 to 50 employers you would be glad to join. A vague target produces scattered applications; a list gives you something to research, follow and reach into.

Split your week across three kinds of work

Roughly a third of your time on each is a sensible starting point. Move time toward whichever one produces conversations.

• Applications: roles that fit, with the resume pointed at the posting.
• Direct outreach: messages to people who work at your target employers or who know someone who does.
• Visibility: posting, commenting and conversations that keep you findable to recruiters and former colleagues.

Track it and change the plan when it stalls

Keep one list with the date, the contact, what you sent and when to follow up. Count conversations and interviews each week, not only applications sent.

If you have applied to 20 or more roles with no interviews, the problem is usually the resume, the targeting or the lack of a referral, not volume. Change one of those before sending more.

Frequently asked questions