How to coordinate processes?

Last time I interviewed, I did a poor job on keeping my options synced. I got to the point where I was starting a process when I was almost finished with others. Dumb me. I have a Google sourcer/recruiter trying to get me in the pipeline for the Zurich office, but since I'll spend time preparing for it, I think it's worth to shot at different companies like FB/Apple/Amazon, even with my preference being google. Applying online seem to be the cause of my processes to be misaligned in the past. How do you do it? Do referrals help to get companies aligned with your timeline? 14 ye as IC with a 3 ye as M/EngDir before going back to IC. TC: 250k (half in paper money) - Europe