How to find jobs in this economy?

One thing we can probably all agree on right now is that job searching in this economy is no joke. There are layoffs happening weekly, and the looming recession news puts pressure on everyone to overwork and overdeliver. Recently I went through the job search process and truly felt the pain myself. Eventually, I was able to find a team that I am excited about and just started my new job last week. Here would love to share some tips you might find helpful as well as some mistakes I should have avoided earlier.?

Cast a Wide Net???????

The competition is truly fierce now since that there are a lot of talented PMs from different companies searching at the same time, including former people managers now looking for IC work. Maybe in the past, you only aim for FAANG level companies and that mindset needs to be adapted. Try to apply everywhere that’s even slightly interesting to you. Spend a few extra minutes to respond to recruiter messages via email or LinkedIn. If their positions are not a good fit, you can still try to ask if their recruiter network might be hiring in XXXX domains and refer your friends who could potentially be a good fit for them.?

I have used this “Stillhiring” database (plenty of filter options) and Lenny’s job board. Y Combinator also has a start-up job dashboard. Or you can search “Product Manager Jobs” on Twitter and some accounts like this “We love product jobs” will pop up.?When I saw Shreyas has a thread about PM executive/firms, I added a lot of recruiters there too and got connected with some over virtual chat.?

Ask for Referrals or Get Intros?

Very frequently we see 1 new job posting and over the next 2 days, there would be 1000+ applicants already. If you still try to use the old-fashioned online application, it will not work as well as it would have in the past. It’s true that having a referral might not land you any interviews, but it is still way better than shooting your chances in the dark.

With LinkedIn premium (free trial is available), you can see the hiring managers or recruiters in the posting, so definitely draft a nice InMail elaborating your relevant experiences and passion for the job with your resume attached. Don’t be afraid to let your network know about your plans and situation. If you are still in touch with former coworkers/managers, send them an email or text and grab some in-person coffee or virtual chat with them, and genuinely ask for advice or if anybody they know is hiring.?

Automate as Much as Possible???

Time is precious and nobody wants to spend hours filling out the job application manually. After all, there is a Chrome extension for that! Similarly, try these useful extensions like Zety to polish your resume instead of working out the Microsoft Word magic to get the spacing lineup perfect. A friend also recommended this tool to build tailored resumes based on job descriptions and track application progress.?

When you practice interviews with others or connect virtually with friends, instead of emailing back and forth for availabilities, send a Calendly invite which makes scheduling (even across different timezones) a breeze.

Research Thoroughly

Practice makes perfect and I realized that experience matters more now than ever. Companies are looking for people who have done exactly what they are building/what to build, thus describing your incredibly relevant experiences is extremely important in interviews. For Product Sense or Execution interviews, check out Youtube channels like Diana Yau or TryExponent, and write down the frameworks that will work out best for you and incorporate that into your mock interview practices. For behavior interviews, reflect on your past successful and failed projects, be descriptive of what you have learned and prepare stories that will touch on cross-functional leadership, time management, unfunded resources, problem-solving etc. Some companies would share interviewer names prior to the interview, so take some time to learn about their backgrounds through LinkedIn (previous posts), any Youtube interviews or podcasts they have done to understand their core values, passion and experiences.?

Hope you find this information worth reading and any other tips you have? Please let us know in the comments!