I’ve been job hunting for months with no luck. Is this strategy worth a try?

August 21, 2026 — 5:01am

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I’ve been looking for a new job for a long while, and I’m finding it difficult. I’ve adjusted my approach based on a range of different advice and suggested strategies. Nothing has worked so far. One idea I’ve come across often is that if you don’t know someone at the organisation you’re applying for, you have very little chance of success. I’ve heard that to combat this, you should always contact the hiring manager or another person mentioned in the job description before you apply.

I have two questions. The first is whether this is actually worthwhile or would it just seem contrived and be a waste of my time? And if it is worth a try, what should I say in this unsolicited correspondence?

The maxim that “it’s not what you know but who you know” has been around for a very long time, and I’m sad to say it’s probably never been wrong.

That’s not just my opinion, it’s a fact that’s been confirmed by several experts I’ve spoken with for Work Therapy over several years, including Professor Carol Kulik........

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