A few months ago, I posted to complain about the build system at my job. It wasn’t my only complaint about that job, but it was the easiest to put into words. There were other factors (unfulfilling work, unpleasant work culture, a manager with whom every interaction felt “fake”) that led to me quitting in early January.

My original goal was to take several months off and focus on longtime hobbies as well as training/certifying to get a DevOps job. However, day 1 of America’s current Republican administration made clear that my family is no longer welcome here, and we’d need a strong financial footing to move. I put my plans on hold and got back into the job market.

I had changed jobs during COVID and the post-pandemic market cooldown, so I thought I knew what to expect (folks who looked for jobs in 2000 & 2008 are allowed to laugh). I was not ready for how quickly job postings reacted to economic troubles this time.

In the end, after dealing with “AI” interviewers, mid-interview ghosting, rejections, and more, I got the kind of job I wanted by knowing someone. Specifically, a former coworker vouched for me to a friend of theirs who was hiring.

I see a lot of stuff online that equates networking with nepotism. It seems like the distinction is lost on some people: It’s way easier to get a job when the hiring manager trusts that you know your shit. There’s a lot of AI slop out there now, and it seems like human recruiters are less involved and more skittish than ever. Your advantage is your human connection to another person.

Don’t burn your bridges with other jobs/people unnecessarily. The former coworker who recommended me isn’t even a friend of mine, just somebody who I worked well with. I only learned that their friend was hiring after we met for lunch to discuss their experience working in DevOps. It’s not beneath you to reap the benefits of positive social interaction.

Also: Those who remember my last post may find it funny that my new team is responsible for the build system.