Job Search as an Engineering Manager: My First Month in Numbers

My role ended on 25 September. One month later 11 companies have moved me to a call, 4 processes are still open, and I know much more clearly where my next role is likely to come from.

I keep a tracker, so this is not a feeling about the market. It is my mailbox and my calendar, counted. I'm sharing it because numbers like these are hard to find, and they may save someone else a few weeks. No company is named here.

In short

• 11 companies moved me to a call in a month: 10 of those calls already happened, 1 interview is booked for 26 October. 4 processes still open, no offer yet.
• People are the strongest channel. 6 of my 11 conversations started with people: five companies reached out to me first, and one conversation started with my own message.
• Job boards work too. About 1 in 15 applications led to a call, more than twice the average in Ashby's data, and targeted applications did better still.
• Companies answer fast. Half the rejections arrived within 3 days. After 10 days of silence, I move on.
• Month two is built on this: fewer applications, more messages to people, and a weekly target of 2 new conversations.

How I counted

I keep a private job tracker: a small dashboard behind Cloudflare Access. For this post, Claude read my Gmail and Google Calendar and filled it in. An application counts only if there is a confirmation email for it, and a conversation counts only if there is a calendar event, so the real numbers are slightly higher.

The period is 25 September to 25 October, one full month. I applied for Head of Engineering, Engineering Manager and QA leadership roles, in Lisbon or remote.

The month in numbers

Where the conversations came from

This is the most useful table of the month.

Every company that contacted me first led to a call. Job-board applications led to a call about 1 time in 15, roughly 7%.

For context, Ashby's 2025 analysis of more than 38 million applications found that inbound applications reach an interview about 3% of the time, and referred candidates about 40% of the time. Referrals were about 1% of applications and about 18% of hires. So my job-board numbers are healthy, and the network is where the leverage is.

I wrote about building a network inside a company in What 60+ Coffee Chats Taught Me. This month showed the other half of that story: the people you work with are the ones who think of you when a role opens.

Which roles got a call

Head of Engineering roles had the strongest response. Four of those six calls came from companies that reached out to me first, so the role and the network worked together. That is the direction I'm focusing on now.

At the end of the month I tested the approach I'm taking into month two: three applications for Head of Engineering roles, each with a CV and a cover letter written for that company. One of them led to an interview invitation the next day. Three is a small number, but it is the first sign that fewer, better applications work.

QA leadership, where I started my career, gave no calls this month (0 of 17), so I'm putting my time where the response is: Head of Engineering and Engineering Manager.

Two companies offered me a senior or tech lead backend engineering role instead of the management role I applied for. I said no to both, because I'm looking for a role where I lead, but I read the offers as a good sign: the hands-on side of my profile is visible from the outside.

How fast companies answer

• Rejections: median 3 days, almost all within 10.
• Silence: 25 applications have had no reply for more than 10 days.

That gives a simple rule: if nothing has come back after 10 days, I count it as closed and put the energy into the next conversation. Where a rejection gave a reason, it was some version of other candidates are a closer match, which tells me to target more precisely, not to apply more.

Week by week

The first week was the strongest because most of it was people who already knew me. That is the clearest lesson of the month, and month two is built around it.

What I'm changing

• I measure conversations, not applications. The weekly number that matters is new conversations, so that is the one I track.
• I focus the search. Head of Engineering and Engineering Manager only, and only roles where I can see what the job is.
• I track the channel for every conversation. I added it for this post, and it became the most useful column in the tracker.

Month two

From 26 October, every week:

• 5 targeted applications for Head of Engineering or Engineering Manager roles, each one paired with a short message to the hiring manager or CTO.
• 10 direct messages to founders, CTOs and hiring managers at product companies in Lisbon and across Europe, whether or not they have an open role.
• 3 intro requests to people I have worked with.
• Target: 2 new conversations a week, checked every Friday.

I'll publish the month-two numbers in the same format.

If you're searching too

What worked for me this month, in order of impact:

1. Tell people you're looking. Five companies came to me because people who had worked with me knew I was available.
2. Pair every application with a message to a person. A form alone is the slowest way in.
3. Track the channel, not just the count. It shows you where to spend the next week.
4. Give silence a deadline. Ten days is enough; then move on without taking it personally.
5. Ask for one line of feedback after a no that followed a conversation. It costs the company a minute and gives you the only data a rejection email never contains.
6. Keep a weekly target you control. Messages and intro requests are in your hands; offers are not.

What I'm looking for

Head of Engineering in Lisbon, on-site, is my first choice. I'm also open to Head of Engineering or Engineering Manager roles in Lisbon or remote. My background is on my experience page. If your team is hiring, or you know one that is, I'd be glad to talk.

Frequently asked questions

How many applications does it take to get an interview as an engineering manager?

In my first month, about 15 job-board applications per call. Ashby's data across millions of applications puts the average for inbound applications at about 3% reaching an interview, so 1 in 15 is a healthy rate. Referred candidates reach an interview about 40% of the time.

How long do companies take to reject an application?

In my data, the median was 3 days and almost all rejections arrived within 10 days. After 10 days of silence, I treat an application as closed.

Do referrals and your network really matter in a job search?

Yes. In my first month, 6 of 11 conversations came through people: five companies reached out to me first, and one started with my own message. Ashby found referrals were about 1% of applications but about 18% of hires.

Should I count no reply as a rejection?

In practice, yes, after about 10 days. It keeps your attention on the next conversation instead of the last application.

Sources

• Ashby, Referrals: Talent Trends Report (May 2025; 38M+ applications, 93K jobs, 2021–2024). The 3% inbound application-to-interview figure is read from the report's chart.
• Ashby, Inbound: Talent Trends Report (October 2025; nearly 250K hires, January 2021 – June 2025)