Networking: how to know someone when you don't know anyone

A free LinkedIn account lets you add a personal note to only five connection requests a month. So spend those on the people you most want to talk to, and for everyone else, connect after you've already met or messaged some other way.

Use the alumni tool to search people from your school by company and role. A shared school is the easiest opener there is.

For your profile: a headline that says what you do and what you want next, a photo that looks like you, an About section written in your own voice, and your top skills. That covers most of it.

An informational interview is a short conversation with someone doing work you want to do. MIT's career office sums up what you're after as AIR: advice, information and referrals. Keep the ask small and specific:

Hi [name], I'm [one line about you] and I'm exploring roles like yours at [company or field]. Would you be open to a 20-minute call in the next couple of weeks? I'd love to hear how you got into it and what you'd do in my shoes. Totally fine if you're too busy.

Show up with a few questions, keep it to the time you asked for, and send a thank-you the same day.

Ask people who know you or your work, or someone you've had a real conversation with. Make it easy for them: send the link to the posting, two lines on why you fit, and your resume. Then let them decide. A referral from someone who doesn't know you doesn't carry much weight, and they know it.

Job clubs, local meetups and career center workshops are full of people in the same spot you are, and some of them will know someone. Your local American Job Center can point you to job clubs near you.