I’m back from vacation and just now digging out from under 11 days of email.

(Note to self: email and turds are both 5 letters long. Coincidence?)

Anyway, one of the dozens of emails in my inbox came from a client, who wrote simply: “My network so far has been a bust.”

My advice to him could apply to you, if you’re feeling similarly downcast about how many job leads your network is producing.

So here it is …

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Here’s an uber-clever job search tip that got one woman hired for a director-level position she found on Monster.

Yes, that’s right, Monster, where you only have to worry about 23 skadillion other resumes competing against yours for every job opening posted.

How did she do it?

Simple. She found a way to humanize Monster. You can, too.

Here’s her story in brief …

For the job I have now, a search on Monster turned up the opening I wanted. I then used my network to find people who’d refer me. I timed submitting my resume through the job board with the referrals. A confluence of resources got me on the top of the pile, and I was later hired as Director of Product Marketing. 

And here are your takeaway lessons …

1) When you find a job posted online that you really want to apply for, don’t. First, use your network, especially your contacts at LinkedIn, to make contact with people who work where you want to apply.

2)  Ask folks to refer your resume on to the hiring manager of the department you want to work for. Give them a specific day to do so, say, Tuesday.

3) On Tuesday, submit your resume to the job posting online.

4) This confluence of contacts made at your target employer, from you submitting your resume via the job board and the people in your network contacting the hiring manager, will generate so much buzz that your name and resume will rise to the top of the pile.

5) From there, it’s up to you to interview and follow up smartly. But getting noticed this way is half the battle.

If you have a similar story, of you or someone you know “humanizing” an online job posting by making contact at the employer first, please comment below and share it with others!

If you’re trying to find a job in another state, you need to read this posting and the comments that follow on Jason Alba’s blog.

They’re fantastic. Tell your friends, then print the thing.

Today’s post will illustrate one of the reasons I love blogging.

I call it the “mash-up factor.”

It’s what happens when you combine a couple of ideas from other sites or blogs and create something really special.

To wit, this article will revolutionize the way you use Linkedin.com to connect with employers by using Google to let you in through the “back door” and meet more people.

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I had to reply to this comment on an article I wrote for the Star Tribune on networking.

The comment was this:

Networking — Have tried it for 40 years and in that time only one success. Sounds great…works poorly  

My reply (elongated here):

You say you’ve tried networking for 40 years and it works poorly. Question: If you brushed your teeth for 40 years and still got cavities, would you say tooth brushing worked poorly, or might there be a chance you were doing it wrong?

If you shifted your car into “P” on the highway, thinking it was Passing Gear, and the bottom dropped out of your transmission, would you say the car worked poorly, or could it be a case of operator error?

Most people love to blame outside events and circumstances for their setbacks. Childish people, that is.

Because saying that a proven idea like networking (or dental hygiene, or safe driving) doesn’t work, simply because it didn’t work for YOU, dooms you to a state of arrested development, where you will repeat your mistakes over and over.

What do you think? Am I right? Wrong?

Before you answer, below are some mini case studies of success. Which of these networking ideas could you use?

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