One time, I decided I wanted a software job in a specific remote area. I connected with numerous recruiters to maximize my interviews per plane trip to the are

One time, I decided I wanted a software job in a specific remote area. I connected with numerous recruiters to maximize my interviews per plane trip to the area. The ultimate win came from watching for jobs in the area through craigslist that did not obviously come from some generic recruiting farm. It took me two plane trips' worth of interviews in five months, and I landed that craigslist job. If I were to do it all again, I realize now that the most powerful tool for all this is to make use of connections. I do not mean the feel-good stuff you get from LinkedIn. I mean actual communication with people via phone, email, whatever. User groups, conferences, whatever... Network well, and the job hunt becomes a lot easier. The other thing about networking is that you can get an idea of WHO you want to work with. Usually that is more important than the actual kinds of work in our field. Lacking the network, I would look for ways to bypass having to communicate with HR... or just venture forth on my own.