When it comes to landing a new job, networking has become more important than ever. Unless you have been blessed with famous parents and don’t have to work for a living (and if that is you, we have to know why you’re reading this newsletter), you better cozy up to your roommate’s friend’s uncle with the hope he can get you a job. As companies hold back on hiring and new AI tools make it possible for applicants to mass-apply to postings on LinkedIn, applying for jobs the old-fashioned way is getting harder than ever. One recruiter said that one job posting can get 600 or 700 applications within a couple of weeks, with an estimated 2% to 3% of people actually being qualified for the job. The best solution to this is to put yourself out there by building interpersonal bonds with actual humans. It will likely pay off, as one survey found that 85% of jobs are filled by some sort of networking. Try contacting people at companies you are interested in, and setting up coffee chats to learn more about their work. Putting a face to the name can go a long way in standing out in a crowd.