Pipeline Management
| Item | Description |
|---|
Application Tracker | Spreadsheet: Company, Role, Date Applied, Status, Contact, Notes, Next Step. Update daily. |
Conversion Rates | Track: Applications→Phone Screen→Technical→Onsite→Offer. Improve weakest conversion rate. |
Weekly Targets | 10-15 quality applications/week (not spray-and-pray). 3-5 networking touches/week. |
Follow-Up Cadence | 1 week after application → 3 days after interview → 1 week after final → graceful check-in. |
Rejection Analysis | Pattern? Failing at same stage? Get feedback. Adjust resume/prep accordingly. |
Application Strategy
| Item | Description |
|---|
Quality > Quantity | 10 tailored applications with research beat 100 generic Easy Apply clicks. |
Company Research | Before applying: read engineering blog, Glassdoor reviews, recent news, tech stack. |
Referral Path | Find 2nd-degree connection → ask for intro or referral. Referred candidates 4x more likely to interview. |
Direct Outreach | Find hiring manager on LinkedIn → send thoughtful note. 'I saw your team is working on X...' |
Timing | Tuesday-Thursday applications get 20% more responses. Monday = inbox backlog. Friday = lost. |
Working with Recruiters
| Item | Description |
|---|
In-House vs Agency | In-house works for one company (your advocate). Agency works for commission (their client is the company). |
Be Responsive | Reply within 24h. Recruiters move fast — slow responses = they move to next candidate. |
Be Honest About Timeline | If you have onsites next week, say so. Recruiters can accelerate or wait. |
Negotiation Ally | In-house recruiters want to close you. They'll advocate for comp if you've built rapport. |
Red Flags | Vague about comp, can't describe team/role, pressure tactics, asks for current salary (illegal in many states). |
Offer Evaluation
| Item | Description |
|---|
Comp Comparison | Annualize: base + target bonus + equity/year + signing/4. Compare apples to apples. |
Growth Trajectory | Promotion velocity at company? Average time to next level? Sponsorship for learning? |
Team & Manager | You join a team, not a company. Does the manager develop people? Team culture? |
Risk Assessment | Startup: runway, product-market fit. Public: stock stability, layoff history. |
Decision Matrix | Score offers on: Comp, Growth, Culture, WLB, Tech Stack, Mission. Weight by personal priority. |
Pro Tip: Treat your job search like a sales pipeline: 100 applications → 20 phone screens → 10 technical screens → 5 onsites → 2 offers. Track every stage to find your bottleneck.