Of Purple Squirrels and Monster.Ugly

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2013/01/29/want-a-job-earn-an-enthusiastic-referral/

Here's an eye-opening post from Savvy Intern.

• A "purple squirrel" is a highly desirable, sought-after candidate for employment. Yes, there are jobs; and yes, employers have a hot-list of the perfect person to fill the job. But that perfect person is as difficult to find as... well, as a purple squirrel. (I'm not sure whether this is a hoax, a meme, or genuine fact; you can look at this page and see what you think: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/purple-squirrel-found-in-penns/61308. However, when I googled "purple squirrel" I did find the common definition is a rare, desirable job candidate.)
• There is a stigma against people who apply for positions through large job boards, like Monster. Your resume and application materials go into a black hole, no matter how perfect you sound on paper. Because face it, if you're that cut off and isolated from the rest of the world that you haven't networked your way into knowing about a job (better yet, getting a recommendation from someone already working at the organization), you seem desperate and a little creepy.

The writer for this blog, Mark Babbitt, takes issue with the notion that you cannot network if you don't already have a job, though. Read the post for more information... or flip through some of my earlier "how to" blog postings on "networking" (use the topics links toward the top of the page).