Ask for warm introductions. Rarely will you get ignored if you’ve received a warm intro. Start by thinking of people whose work you admire; or companies that you are interested in learning more about. Then, look on LinkedIn or other social sources to see who may be connected to that person. Here’s an example of an email I received that I thought was particularly effective: “Hello Fran, I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out because I’m very interested in applying to the JOB TITLE with COMPANY NAME. I noticed you’re connected with NAME at the company. I am wondering if you know her well enough to potentially pass along my name and resume. I would really appreciate it if you have the ability to help me make this connection.” And, even better, write a short forwardable email with your bio and resume attached. Make it easy for the person to make the introduction.