Finessing the Network

http://careersherpa.net/finding-contacts-within-your-target-companies/

Network, I keep saying.

But how? You've found a job posting for something that sounds exactly right for you... and you know nobody in the company, never even heard of the company before you saw the posting. But it's so perfect, it looks like it came right from your wish-list.

Here's a thoughtful article on how to go about leveraging contacts you already have, and how to reach out to make new contacts.

Why is this important? Because job applicants with a recommender already working for the company are "twice as likely to land an interview as other applicants" (New York Times, quoted in the linked blog).

And hey--even if you still don't get that job, you will definitely have increased your circle of network resources, which will almost certainly increase your overall odds of finding a great job.