what is it that you are doing or trying to do,you have said earlier that you can't/won't actually network so i am a bit confused at the moment

My degree and experience lends me more towards the NGO sector (or government, where i've gotten more nibbles than the private sector, but nothing solid so far. No jobs or not, the government is at least transparent about their system instead of the deceptive, arcane mystery tour that is applying to any private company). The problem is that most of my ex-supervisors are pretty flaky, and entirely unreliable for job help (the congressional candidate i worked for still hasn't gotten around to giving me a general letter of recommendation, one month hence).

Ideally i'd be looking for work in Washington DC, New York, or somewhere on the coasts. I live in the Midwest.

Your mindset is all wrong here. How many interviews have you had in your field? If it's more than 5 for jobs you're perfectly capable of doing and qualified for, then it's your attitude. Mock interview yourself and tape it to see if you come across confident and personable. If you don't, work on it. If you're invited to an interview, it usually means you are qualified for a position and they are wanting to get to know you as a person and if you would be suitable for the work environment.

Don't allow professionalism and concise responses diminish your personality. If you're a robot, or coercive, or show no enthusiasm for the opportunity to interview, they will not hire you.

All about company culture for employers when they select a candidate, not just qualifications.

oh yeah thats right,i'm surprised i thought you'd be getting on with lefty type politiking people but washington and new york sounds like a whole load of networking to me,hence your thread i guess,you need to get on peoples case if they are nit giving you a letter of recommendation and things like that

i don't think i can be much help,maybe start by giving mr khan an xmas hat  

I've only been given the opportunity for three first-round interviews, two of which were on the phone, so zero "real" interviews (since first-round interviews are more or less there to prove you exist).

Nobody even bothers to look at my resume, if LinkedIn is to be believed.

I totally disagree. Networking is as much a part of getting a job as the skills are. Networking in itself takes effort and time. It shows who you are personally and makes you familiar with upper management.

You can be the most qualified applicant but if nobody knows who you are and have no connections.....well thats something no degree can teach you. Being shy and socially awkward won't get you anywhere in life.

But on the subject of cheating.......you live in a town. Houses are expensive. But its where your family and job is. You buy a house. Its super expensive but everything is within your reach and commute is nothing. Your friend buys a house far outside town....the exact same house but since its out of the way its like $80 000 cheaper. THATS cheating IMO.

THis mentality is why you don't have a job. No one owes you anything. You have to go out and get it for yourself. This has been documented because despite jobs being plentiful elsewhere, you refuse to go to them (or be willing to train yourself for them).

Honestly, good social skills and the ability to meet other business people is not an exclusive trait to people who are well off beforehand. You're just mad.

Then you gotta seriously dazzle at the interview. Be professional yet funny, or move to a place where you can network. or get into a different field where you do have an "in". It seriously is a integral part of the process to weed out the others.

I myself hold 2 jobs, I work part time as a forklift driver for the last 4 years, to which my Aunt recomended me. I also started a full time office job at a University since late August, where my mother also works. In both cases, they were my "in" but thats where it stopped. They merely got me noticed in the interview process. After which, it was obviously all on me to actually deliever, which I did.

You have to set yourself apart from the rest and be credible. Anybody can be qualified, but it helps to have someone else in good standing vouch for you.

Here is my story...


I got hired through an agency for a bank job in January 2012.

I worked well but instead of being a guy who just did his work like a robot, I became friends with the number 2 manager and the number 1 manager liked me as well. I tried to bring in new ideas and got along with everyone…
6 months latter, time came to hire some permanent employees.

I did not apply to be a permanent employee because some people gave me some wrong information that you have to work for a year to be a permanent employee.
The managers skipped over many other temp employees who had way more experience then me and they likely knew the process better then me.
The main manager took me to a room and personally asked me if I wanted to become a permanent employee. They said I still had to apply but its pretty much assured..

I was happy but the other employees felt bitter towards me because they thought I only got hired because of my "good relations" with management.

Latter on the manager was talking to me and told me the reason I got hired because I had some ability to think outside the box and was able to bring forth new ideas…She said anyone can come here and do the work…

So my advice is this…
When dealing with your bosses..
Make sure you present yourself in a way where the boss does not see you as a pawn but as a colleague…

This is a lie. If you have any living family members, they have to know someone. You also went to college. You should be reaching out to your professors or department heads as they most certainly know someone who could possible help.

And job fairs are the biggest places to network. Most areas in the US have several every year.

And getting to that right place doesn't require a ton of cash. You can still interview for work that is located away from you if you're willing to move there for the job.