i recently lost my job and it's horrible being in the 'unemployed' class -- you're made to feel worthless, you have to take advice from people, perfectly well meaning of course, that are basically encouragement on digging your own grave - i love being in the position where i have to do some fake elizabethian courting ritual where i have to pretend i'm super excited to do whatever tf they do, oh and i'm the best man for the job! -- when you've just sent in 200 applications and gotten nothing back, when you've just been let go for dubious bullshit reasons, you're supposed to act like you're ready for a challenge!
important video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkYHNO2vNG4
The only time "networking" has ever resulted in me getting what I wanted was when I worked in the Disney World transportation department. It was my day off, so me and my boy friend at the time decided to go to the parks. We waited in line for two hours for the Rocking Rollercoaster and, after we got off the thing, I spotted another employee who I recognized from Tower of Terror. I didn't know the guy personally, he was just my favorite lift operator on that ride as he always hammed it up like he was auditioning for a Wes Anderson film. I walked up and told him as much, he thanked me as I explained that I was a cast member in the park on my day off. He asked if I was there with anyone else and I replied my boyfriend. He told me to go get him and to meet him by this door off to the side of gift shop. He took us behind the scenes and back to the front of the line... we got to ride Rocking Rollercoaster almost twenty times without waiting in line. It was fucking incredible.
That's how networking works. Make good impressions on people and they open doors for you, both literally -like in your case- and figuratively.
Yep. It’s why I tell my students to make friends with people on the “keeping the lights on” side of things. You are friendly in general, no strings attached, and they will move mountains for you because you’re one of the nice ones.