Assuming you make $100K, $3,000 is your opportunity cost. Oh, plus $10. That's ~100 coffee meetings (say $20 because it's fancy coffee and bread pudding) with

Assuming you make $100K, $3,000 is your opportunity cost. Oh, plus $10. That's ~100 coffee meetings (say $20 because it's fancy coffee and bread pudding) with managers and lead engineers at companies you want to work at, including gas and a LinkedIn pro account. In 100 meetings, you're bound to at least find someone to mentor you, if not hire you right away. Plus make some real connections. You could also drop a couple hundred on a resume designer if you like, but being detailed on your LinkedIn profile is probably more effective. Full disclosure: I'm a software consultant who also does recruiting/staffing. But an exceptionally ethical one.