How come you didn't take my idea in one of my previous post about cronyism? Networking is very similar to cronyism. Corrupt practices that one must deal with when living in a "free market" society.  Humans will always be corrupt.

Cronyism is the abuse of networking. The latter can easily turn into the former, but they are usually not the same.

The only thing wrong with my field is that where i live is a good three to five-hundred miles away from where any jobs in my field are. If i lived in the greater DC metro area, i'd just be signed up with all the temp agencies, and eventually i'd punch through somewhere (and have actual work in the meantime).

I do agree some marketable skills would help, but nobody wants to give me the chance to do that, either (no opportunity to improve my Japanese, jack squat).

Somebody's to blame here that isn't me. It's either old people, hiring managers, or cheaters.

More or less self-explanatory thread (or, Mr Khan's job-searching rant thread number three).

Networking is cheating. It's modern-day croneyism built into a system that favors insiders and people who know people, heavily favoring so-called "type A" personalities and more extroverted individuals, and overlooking any individuals who worked hard to get where they were but weren't born with a silver spoon in their mouths or didn't room with the right guy in college.

When someone gets a job by networking, a more deserving person loses out. Therefore, networking to get a job is cheating, and sites like LinkedIn should be outlawed.

Forgive me. EXPLETIVE!

It's one of a set of skills that you need to be able to function in the modern business world.

If you can't communicate on a personal level then yes you are at a disadvantage. So hey.... Why not put yourself out there and learn.

I wasn't the best in the social business environment either, but I put myself out of my comfort zone and got on with it.

If you think everyone networking is comfortable then you are extremely naive.

Being qualified is less than half the requirement in my experience.

Your problem becomes more apparent by the day, you are negative and it's all someone else's fault.

I wouldn't hire you either. Get over yourself, the world owes you nothing.

rant response to rant thread over.

What a terrible and baseless argument. The better person will always get the job,simple as that. If you are not smart enough to network properly then you don't deserve the job. 

I have a job interview next week which I got from networking. That doesn't mean I have the job, it just means my CV landed on the right pile and so the HR manager liked my CV, thus giving me the interview. It is now totally up to me to get that job. 

Your argument fails on so many levels it is hilarious. If you have this bitter stance when you are applying for jobs, good luck beating the others guys. 

All of the groups that have actually given me a damn chance (aside from the two scam jobs i picked up this year, whom i parted ways with on very bad terms) enjoyed my work thoroughly. Near the end of my three-month stint with KFC, i was their go-to guy if anyone called off. If the Library hadn't had their budget slashed, they'd still have me on. I fit in very well with the people at the congressional campaign, and Gamestop said i'm better than all of the other seasonal helpers they've hired this year. Got a glowing recommendation from my internship, and forged friendships with the janitorial staff in my work-study job in college (which, given racial and socioeconomic differences there, has to count for something).

Once i get past the hiring managers, their stupid trap questions, cheap tricks, and red tape, institutions generally find me a model worker.