How do I get a new job in FM23?

If you’re a Football Manager “journeyman”, the kind of player who regularly likes to switch jobs, this article is for you. I’ll show you how to get a new job in FM23, the best time for job hunting, and how to handle those tricky interview questions.

What’s the best time to get a new job in FM23?

If you’re going to switch jobs, by FAR the safest time to do it is at the end of the season. 

There are two big dangers of trying to switch jobs mid-season:

1. You don’t get the new job you applied for, your current chairman puts his tight pans on and you’re given the bullet.

2. The new club has unrealistic expectations which are difficult to meet with only limited/no time to revamp the squad before the end of the season, and you’re given the bullet.

The only time I’d ever switch jobs mid-season is if another, bigger club told me they wanted me to be their next manager, not just offering an interview. You might get away with showing a bit of leg to another club if your reputation at your current club is strong, but it’s risky.

And there’s nothing worse than hitting Continue 86 times on the trot, waiting for a decent job to appear. Other than managing Sunderland, that is.

What should you say in FM23 job interviews?

If you’re lucky enough to get a job interview for a club you want to manage, be prepared to bend the knee. Unless your reputation far exceeds the club’s, you’re probably going to have to give them a bit of Billy Bull***t to land the job. Here’s my advice:

• Promise them you’ll go one better than their target. So, if they say they’re looking for a manager to avoid relegation, say you’ll finish mid-table. Don’t massively over-promise, but show ambition.
• Don’t try and talk up the transfer/wage budgets on offer.
• Don’t ask for sweeping changes to the backroom team. You can always clear them out at the end of the season.
• Check the club’s culture in the job advert (Staff > Job Centre > click on club > Overview > View Job Advert) before the interview. If they’re keen on developing youth players, for example, don’t tell them you plan to burn down the Academy and buy all your players from Tesco’s.  

Should I tell the media I want a new job in FM23?

Whenever you apply or get interviewed for a job, you’ll inevitably get some scoop-sniffing hack on the phone, asking for a comment. Be very bloody wary about talking up how much you want the new job. 

Before answering the hack’s call, go to the Job Centre and check who is the current favourite for the job. If it’s you, say nothing. You’ve nothing to gain by talking yourself into a job you’re already linked with.

Only if you’re not the favourite AND you’ve got a decent reputation would I consider telling the press you’re up for it. It might get the fan bandwagon behind you, but it’s a high-stakes game, especially if you’re already in a job. 

Even if you’re currently unemployed, talking up a job can backfire, as the chairman of other clubs you’re applying for will note you’re really interested in another job.

Should you resign to get a new job?

I nearly shot myself in the foot when I left Welsh part-timers Taffs Well in my FM save. Here’s what happened.

A week before the Aberystwyth job came up, I signed a new contract at Taffs Well. I was out of contract, didn’t want to be jobless, so even though I was looking around, I signed the deal. That wasn’t the silly bit.

The silly bit was that in the contract I was offered at Taffs Well, they inserted a clause about a percentage of compensation if I received another job offer. I didn’t really know what it meant, was too lazy to look it up, and so excluded the clause. Big error.

That clause, had I left it in, would have meant any new club would only have to pay 20% of my outstanding contract in compensation to get me. So, when Aberystwyth came knocking for me a week later, Taffs Well demanded full compensation and the two clubs couldn’t agree a deal.

At this point, Aberystwyth told me they wanted me to be their new manager, but they weren’t prepared to pay up. If I wanted the job, I’d have to extract myself from Taffs Well “by other means” or some such wording. So, I resigned, crossed my fingers, and thankfully Aberystwyth were as good as their word and hired me a week later. 

I won’t be parking my car outside any pubs in Taffs Well for the next 30 years, mind…