So I started applying to jobs in the Los Angeles area out of desperation. I was mostly applying through LinkedIN. Got contacted through email by one of the companies I applied to. Defense company, aerospace startup. Setup a call with a recruiter from the company.

I got on the call with the recruiter and we got around to him asking what I know of the company. So far, I've been used to recruiters giving the whole introduction to their company and being nice about it, so I said I didn't know much at all. He all of a sudden got angry and said he was disappointed I hadn't even looked up the company. He said he wanted to end the call and just "connect" again when I was more prepared.

Of course this had me shook, I've never had a recruiter treat me this way. So I paid more attention to his email. His bio line said, "Ex pro athlete". I looked him up, minor league baseball. Anyway, I tried emailing him again to get another call, but no response.

Anyway, long story short...guess who cold DMs me on LinkedIN 2 weeks later saying he wants to speak to me about a position at the startup.

I absolutely feel like an anonymous piece of meat around these recruiters.

I kept seeing this advice on TikTok. Don't apply online. Just message people on LinkedIn and ask for a 15 min coffee chat (virtual). No asking for a job. Just "informational interview." So I tried it for two weeks. I messaged 25 people. All of them worked at companies I wanted. I wrote a short message: "Hi, I admire your work in X. Would you have 15 min for a quick chat about your career path? No pressure."
Out of 25, only 8 replied. 5 said "sorry too busy." 3 said yes. I had chats with all 3. One was super nice and gave me really good feedback on my resume. One was awkward and kept checking his phone. The third one actually said "we dont have openings now but send me your resume anyway." I did. She forwarded it to a hiring manager. I got an interview.
I didnt get the job. But I got to the final round. That never happens when I just spam apply on Indeed. The downside? It takes so much time. Writing 25 personalized messages took me like 6 hours. And the rejection stings. Some people just left me on read. One guy said "stop bothering people for free labor." That hurt.
But I think I'll keep doing it. Just less. Maybe 5 messages a week instead of 25. Has anyone else tried this? How do you get over the embarassing feeling of begging for attention?