Career Launch Playbook

The 60-day plan from “I finished the book” to “I signed an offer.” Concrete weekly milestones, not vibes.

Premise

You’ve worked through 13 phases. You have at least 1 capstone shipped (ideally 2-3) and a defensible understanding of the iOS/macOS stack. Now you need to convert that capability into a job. This playbook assumes you’re starting from cold — no current iOS role, no insider referrals, no existing portfolio site. Adjust days if you’re further along.

Week 1 — Foundation

Goal: portfolio assets exist in shareable form.

  • Day 1: Polish your strongest capstone’s README. Top of file: 30-sec pitch, GIF, App Store link if live, GitHub link. Make it scannable in 60 seconds.
  • Day 2: Write GitHub profile README. Pin the 3 best capstones. One-line description of each.
  • Day 3: Update LinkedIn headline. Format: “iOS Engineer — Swift, SwiftUI, SwiftData, CloudKit.” Skills section: add every framework you can defend in interview.
  • Day 4: Buy a domain (yourname.dev). One-page site linking to GitHub + LinkedIn + your shipped apps. Don’t over-design; clarity wins.
  • Day 5: Record a 60-second demo video of your strongest capstone. Unlisted YouTube. Link from README.
  • Day 6: Write 1 blog post (Medium / dev.to / personal site) about a non-obvious thing you learned during the book. “What I learned building a SwiftData + CloudKit app from scratch.” 800-1500 words.
  • Day 7: Rest. Review week.

Week 2 — Interview prep base

Goal: you can answer any question in the interview cheat sheet out loud, fluently.

  • Days 8-10: Re-read Phase 12 — Architecture & Interview Prep end-to-end.
  • Day 11: Drill the 50 cheat-sheet questions. For each, speak the answer out loud (not just think). Record yourself; re-listen.
  • Day 12: Rehearse the 30-sec pitch and 3-min deep dive of each capstone (see each capstone’s interview-talking-points.md).
  • Day 13: Find a friend / mentor / paid coach for a mock technical interview. Schedule it for week 3.
  • Day 14: Rest.

Week 3 — Applications start

Goal: 30 applications sent, 1 mock interview done.

  • Day 15: Compile job-board list — LinkedIn, AngelList, Hacker News “Who is Hiring,” YC Work at a Startup, iOS-specific boards.
  • Day 16: Build a target list of 50 companies. Mix: 20 startups, 20 mid-size, 10 FAANG-tier. Note which use iOS.
  • Day 17: Write a base cover letter. Customize per application later.
  • Day 18-20: Apply to 30 of them. Take 30-45 minutes per application — research the company, customize the cover letter intro paragraph, link directly to the most relevant capstone for their domain.
  • Day 20: Mock interview. Record. Review the recording. Note 3 things to improve.
  • Day 21: Rest.

Week 4 — Outreach + networking

Goal: 10 warm conversations initiated; 50 applications total sent.

  • Day 22: List every iOS engineer you know (former colleagues, classmates, online acquaintances). Message 5 to catch up and mention you’re job hunting. Don’t ask for a job; ask if they know what their company’s hiring for.
  • Day 23: LinkedIn search for “iOS engineering manager” at your top 10 target companies. Send 5 connection requests with a short note (“Hi X, I’m working through interviews for iOS roles and your team’s work on Y caught my eye. Would you be open to a 15-min chat?”).
  • Day 24-26: Apply to 20 more roles. Total now 50.
  • Day 27: Send a thoughtful comment on 3 iOS-engineer blog posts you’ve read. Quality engagement, not spam.
  • Day 28: Rest. By now first responses should be coming in.

Week 5 — Phone screens

Goal: convert applications into phone screens; ace them.

  • Continue applying — aim 10 more per week (60+ total). Stale leads die quickly.
  • When a phone screen is scheduled:
    • Research the interviewer on LinkedIn
    • Read 3 of the company’s blog posts
    • Prepare 3 questions to ask them
    • Rehearse your 30-sec pitch and your strongest capstone’s 3-min deep dive
  • Phone screen day-of:
    • Be on time
    • Use a headset (audio quality > visual setup)
    • Smile when you talk
    • Have your capstone open in front of you for reference
  • After every phone screen: write down what was asked, what went well, what to improve

Week 6 — Technical rounds

Goal: pass technical rounds; reach onsites.

  • Before each technical round:
    • LeetCode warm-up: 1 easy Swift problem the morning of
    • Re-read the most relevant phase (e.g., concurrency-heavy company → re-read Phase 5)
    • Set up a quiet, well-lit space with your laptop
  • During:
    • Think out loud; pause before complex sub-problems
    • Verify understanding before coding (“just to confirm, the goal is X?”)
    • Test your code mentally before claiming done
    • If stuck, narrate the stuck-ness — interviewers often help
  • After: write down every question; identify weak topics; drill them in the evening

Week 7 — Onsites + offers

Goal: convert onsites into offers.

  • Onsite prep:
    • Sleep 8 hours night before
    • Re-rehearse your top 2 capstone pitches the morning of
    • Bring water; have snacks between rounds
    • System design — your Lab 12.4 — System design whiteboard prep is the right framework
    • Behavioral rounds: STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for every answer; 3 prepared “tell me about a time” stories
  • After every onsite: send a thank-you email to each interviewer within 24h
  • If you get an offer: don’t accept on the spot. “Thank you so much. I’d like to take a few days to review. Can I get back to you by [date]?”

Week 8 — Negotiation + decision

Goal: optimize the offer; sign.

  • Re-read Phase 12 — Salary negotiation & offer evaluation.
  • If you have multiple offers: tell each you have other offers. Don’t disclose numbers; let them compete.
  • Negotiation script: “I’m excited about the role. The base is below market for someone with my profile. Is there flexibility to bring it to $X?”
  • Negotiate at minimum: base, signing bonus, equity / RSU count, start date, vacation.
  • Once signed: announce on LinkedIn (great for future referral leverage). Thank everyone who helped (referrals, mentors, mocks).

Throughout: daily routines

  • Morning (30 min): read iOS news (Swift Forums highlights, NSHipster, Hacker News iOS-tagged stories). Stay current.
  • Lunch (15 min): 1 LeetCode easy in Swift. Keep the syntax fresh.
  • Evening (30 min): review applications, respond to messages, schedule interviews.
  • Weekly: 1 mock interview, 1 blog post, 1 small capstone improvement.

Red flags to avoid

  • Don’t apply to 200 jobs with the same cover letter. Quality > quantity. 50 thoughtful > 200 spammy.
  • Don’t lie or exaggerate experience. The first technical round will catch it.
  • Don’t argue with rejections. Thank them and move on. Sometimes you get a 6-month “let’s revisit” — be the candidate they remember positively.
  • Don’t accept the first offer just because it’s an offer. A bad fit costs you a year.
  • Don’t undersell. New-grad iOS engineers in major US markets in 2024 hit $130-180k base. Senior iOS $180-280k. Adjust for region.

When you’re 60 days in and don’t have an offer

  • Get a paid technical coach for a single 90-min session. Outside perspective on what’s blocking you.
  • Lower your target seniority by one level temporarily — sometimes the bar is genuinely off.
  • Build one more capstone — concrete shipped work moves more interviews than a polished resume.
  • Take a contract or freelance role — proves recent paid experience.

Final note

Job hunting is a numbers game with quality multipliers. The book gave you the quality. The playbook gives you the numbers. Run both.

Good luck. When you sign, email me.

Back to top of book