Reach out to some new contacts
It's not too late to make new connections. If no one in your personal network can help you, Ryan Kahn, a career coach, founder of The Hired Group, and author of "Hired! The Guide for the Recent Grad," suggests you start reaching out to some of your work idols — people who've achieved success at a company or in a field that you're interested in.
WayUp CEO Liz Wessel previously gave Business Insider some great advice on the art of writing a clear, concise cold email, from the eye-catching subject line to the pithy sign-off.
"Once you get into the email, make it short, crisp, and say exactly what you want," Wessel told Business Insider.
Here's a sample cold email:
Hi [your idol's name],
My name is [blank]. I'm really interested in meeting with you because of [x,y and z]. Do you have 15 minutes to hop on a phone call?
All the best,
Your name
You can also try connecting with your work idol on LinkedIn. Use the LinkedIn Alumni tool to discover individuals from your old school who work at the organizations you're applying at — you'll have an instant in when you bring up your alma mater.
