Comment by kiloshib

FWIW I recently got a great job off a random LinkedIn EasyApply for a company I never heard of at the time. I didn't even remember applying to it when the recruiter reached out to me to set up and interview. I was on unemployment at the time and the state I was in required a minimum of two job contacts a week, and sometimes I would just apply to random jobs that looked interesting. Turned out I picked one that was perfect for me and the recruiter actually followed through.

That being said, you're still right when you point to reliance on the network. My network didn't get me that job per se, but I had a strong network from which to pull from for employment references (old mangagers, etc.) as well as a friend from school who now does career counseling/interview prep at a college.

I'd been unemployed for over a year, but was able to get a quick pep talk from an old mentor and some good interview advice from that friend from school. It was definitely great to have that support to lean on.