Lacking one full-time job, I’ve been exploring nearly every opportunity that has presented itself. It has sometimes felt like the most aggressive multitasking I’ve done in my career. Here’s a snapshot: I’ve taken a role with an unfunded startup, building the first product and preparing it for launch. I’m preparing for a contract to help a founding team take their idea to a place where they can explore product market fit. I’m meeting with other founders who need support for their outsourcing team. Oh yeah, and I’m searching for full-time jobs, too, which means I’ve applied and interviewed for positions ranging from Director of Engineering to CTO and everything in between. (All of that, and on the personal side, I’m networking to stay connected, coaching a team of 13 and 14-year-old boys in baseball, and all of the other “little things” it takes to keep a family running smoothly…OK, somewhat smoothly.) 

I don’t say this to brag about my multitasking ability or my in-demand skills. I’ve been fortunate to be presented with these opportunities and am thankful for them. I mention it because I’ve read others’ stories of the same challenges, and more and more people I’ve met are piecing together a new balance like this. I don’t think it’s the new normal or a long-term solution (at least for me), but it has been a chance to grow new skills, reflect, and give back. 

Multitasking Economy Numbers (up and down simultaneously)

6pm – the new dinnertime in Meta offices as perks like meals, snacks, shirts, and happy hours return to more regular budgets source

27% Airtable’s latest layoff (following a 20% cut last December.) source

3,300 new roles opening across Salesforce (after their January layoff of ~8,000 people) source

Resume Work

I mentioned a few weeks ago the value of resume reviews. After two excellent reviews by generous friends who have profound knowledge of how to make a resume readable by the applicant tracking systems (ATS), distinguishable from others, and a strong representation of my skills, it is in a much better state. Since Indeed offered ex-Indeedians a free resume review, I decided to get their additional feedback. Overall, it was a good review, and if I hadn’t already had such great feedback, it would have likely been priceless. I strongly recommend getting a professional resume review if you haven’t already done so. 

One caveat. Even with the updated resume, I have not seen any apparent difference in my job search application response rate. I’m trying to find the right measure to understand what impact this has had. Still, at a minimum, the push to make my accomplishments more tangible and data-driven has also brought confidence and clarity in my interviews. 

Overhiring and Avoiding Overhiring 

This read on overhiring (14m read) has both points that resonate for me and takeaways that I strongly disagree with. Still, I appreciate the comprehensiveness and clear action items for engineering leaders. A few key notes:

• The concept (albeit unfortunately named) of a “people buffer” – having new hires available to fill roles – is excellent, as long as you have a clear picture of the work to come and strong prioritization.
• The difficulty of seeing overhiring from the outside vs. the internal measures that suggest overhiring is occurring. 
• Silos help reduce overhiring, clarifying ownership and accountability likely at the cost of innovation.

Fun

Final Words

If I can help with your search, please contact me. Please give me feedback on what you like or don’t care for in this newsletter, and I’ll adjust. For total transparency, I have no affiliation with any of the tools, companies, or resources I share. These are my impressions, not colored by any outside influences.