30 in 30: The Friends and Family Plan

“Every good job-hunt starts in your own backyard.” No one has ever said that, but we’re saying it now and hopefully it will catch on. Not everyone has tons of great networking contacts at their beck and call, but almost everyone has friends and family. No reason not to start with them. Let everyone know what you’re interested in and what type of jobs you’re looking for—you never know, an aunt’s friend’s cousin may just be your key to a great opportunity. And even if no one is close to your industry of choice, you can still gain wisdom about careers in general by speaking to people in different fields and asking them what they do.

Looking for a job in the new year? Be sure to stay on top of all the essential job-hunting tips from Gradspot's new series, 30 in 30: The Insider's Guide to Job-Hunting in '09. If you'd like to share your own tips with the Gradspot community, email 30in30 [at] gradspot [dot] com with your tip, your occupation/industry of interest, and your name as you'd like it to appear on the site.