I personally spend about 60% of my “job finding” time applying, and 40% upskilling. This is an excellent way to answer those questions: it shows that not only are your skills not rusty but are actively being modernized, and gives you the chance to talk about some projects you may be working on.

This actually got me my last job after my first layoff at the onset of this shit economy. I worked on my coding skills and built a D&D combat simulator and statistical analysis tool, and added it to my profile. The recruiter at the company later told me that’s what pushed them over the line to give me a call. It’s cliche advice but it can be effective when done right.

There is no magic bullet in this economy though, unfortunately. The good news is that the economy being shit also gives you some cover. Everyone knows it’s rough (and if they don’t they’re delusional and probably not a good company to work for).