Find yourself an inside connection
It’s not who you are, it’s who you know — This saying is true more than ever, especially as the job market heats up. While companies are required to employ fair hiring practices, someone within the company can recommend you and it can bring a great deal of attention and credibility to your application. Luckily, you don’t have to have an uncle that works at Microsoft.
You can quickly build connections both in-person and online and, if networking seems daunting to you, it’s probably a mindset issue. The key is to approach each potential connection with the mindset of, “What’s in it for them?” By finding a way to create mutual value, the people you reach out to will genuinely look forward to helping you.
It’s also important to send messages that are completely natural and honest. We’re all busy, and no one wants to interact with a robot or someone who is clearly just asking us for a favor with no prior relationship in place. It’s also important to follow up because, again, we’re all busy. While you shouldn’t pester or harass anyone, sending a message a couple of days later will help you get a response.