Soft Landing · Chapter 9 · Search portfolio

The Search Strategy Matrix

A job search is a portfolio, not a slot machine. Put your weekly hours across four channels, count what actually came back, and move the allocation only when the evidence earns it.

Output: One channel portfolio, two weekly evidence records, and one dated two-week allocation decision.

Starting portfolioStarting mix open

Evidence0/2 weekly records

Diagnosis0/6 diagnostic answers

Allocation decisionDecision open

Portfolio incomplete. Starting mix, evidence, diagnosis, or the dated reallocation still needs work.

Next: choose the current search level.

1. Choose a starting mix

These ranges are starting hypotheses, not national conversion laws. Blank percentages stay unresolved.

Current search levelProductive weekly hours actually availableProtect sleep, medical care, child care, and mandatory deadlines first.

Individual contributor or early careerOnline applications 40–50%, Networking and referrals 20–30%, Recruiter relationships 10–20%, Direct outreach 10–20%

Manager or directorOnline applications 20–30%, Networking and referrals 30–40%, Recruiter relationships 15–25%, Direct outreach 15–25%

Senior leader or executiveOnline applications 10–20%, Networking and referrals 35–50%, Recruiter relationships 20–30%, Direct outreach 15–25%

Online applications

Starting target: Strong-fit submissions and internal research

Evidence: human response, screen, interview

Starting percentageTarget actions

Choose a search level to see the starting range.

Planned hours unresolved

Networking and referrals

Starting target: Relevant outreach, follow-up, and conversations

Evidence: replies, meetings, introductions

Starting percentageTarget actions

Choose a search level to see the starting range.

Planned hours unresolved

Recruiter relationships

Starting target: Targeted contacts and active-search follow-up

Evidence: substantive calls, submissions, interviews

Starting percentageTarget actions

Choose a search level to see the starting range.

Planned hours unresolved

Direct outreach

Starting target: Researched company and decision-maker messages

Evidence: replies, conversations, internal routing

Starting percentageTarget actions

Choose a search level to see the starting range.

Planned hours unresolved

Starting allocation total0.0%

Reason for using one or more percentages outside the starting range

2. Set the review clock

Make allocation decisions after two weeks unless runway, safety, health, or a real deadline requires faster action.

Was this review accelerated?

Runway requires faster actionSafety requires faster actionHealth requires faster actionA real deadline requires faster action

Controlling fact, date, and source

Week 1 evidence

Week ending

Week 1 needs a date and explicit entries, including zeroes

Online applications

Hours usedResponsesConversationsIntroductions or submissionsInterviewsOffersNext change

Networking and referrals

Hours usedResponsesConversationsIntroductions or submissionsInterviewsOffersNext change

Recruiter relationships

Hours usedResponsesConversationsIntroductions or submissionsInterviewsOffersNext change

Direct outreach

Hours usedResponsesConversationsIntroductions or submissionsInterviewsOffersNext change

Week 2 evidence

Week ending

Week 2 needs a date and explicit entries, including zeroes

Online applications

Hours usedResponsesConversationsIntroductions or submissionsInterviewsOffersNext change

Networking and referrals

Hours usedResponsesConversationsIntroductions or submissionsInterviewsOffersNext change

Recruiter relationships

Hours usedResponsesConversationsIntroductions or submissionsInterviewsOffersNext change

Direct outreach

Hours usedResponsesConversationsIntroductions or submissionsInterviewsOffersNext change

Evidence-counting boundary

A LinkedIn like isn't a lead, and an automated receipt isn't a human response. Record what happened, including zero. A blank stays unresolved.

Automated receipts are not counted as human responsesA recruiter's general promise is not counted as a submissionA social like is not counted as an introduction

Two-week channel evidence

Channel	Planned hours	Actual hours	Responses	Conversations	Introductions or submissions	Interviews	Offers
Online applications	Not set	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
Networking and referrals	Not set	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
Recruiter relationships	Not set	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
Direct outreach	Not set	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded

3. Diagnose before moving hours

A quiet channel isn't automatically a bad channel. The target, message, material, volume, timing, or fit may be off. Use both weekly records before you move the hours.

Channel being diagnosed

Did I contact the right role, company, or person?Did the message make the relevance legible?Did I provide enough evidence?Did I ask for a reasonable next action?Did I follow up at an appropriate time?Did a real constraint make the sample too small?

Smallest plausible causeOne change to test

4. Record the dated allocation decision

Change one cause at a time. Otherwise the next result is fuzzy math wearing a respectable shirt.

Online applications percentageNetworking and referrals percentageRecruiter relationships percentageDirect outreach percentage

Next allocation total: 0.0%

Allocation decision dateNext review dateWhy this is the smallest reallocation supported by the evidence

Operating boundaries

Starting ranges are hypotheses, not national conversion laws.

Make allocation decisions after two weeks unless runway, safety, health, or a real deadline requires faster action.

Diagnose target, message, evidence, ask, timing, constraint, and channel fit before moving hours.

Change the smallest plausible cause, then run another review period.

Completion test

Record productive weekly hours, a four-channel starting mix totaling 100 percent, target actions, two weekly records with explicit zeroes, the six-part diagnosis, and a dated next allocation totaling 100 percent.

Monday Move

Choose the level that best matches the current search, enter only the productive hours actually available, and draft a four-channel mix that totals 100 percent without borrowing from sleep, medical care, child care, or mandatory deadlines.

Entries stay in this browser with LocalStorage until you clear them.