Hi solo,

I've read the answers in this thread and none of them mention networking (I think - I scrolled it through). That's THE most important part of any job search (also PHD search). Although, we're used to hearing that only the people who "know someone" will get the nice job, and knowing someone is something you get through your parents/relatives. Maybe if you just happen to randomly meet someone, you'll get that well needed connection. Here's the deal: I think our generation (20-30 yo), are "in-betweeners" in that we grew up with technology/internet/social media, but we can't (yet) really grasp the power of this as it's such a new phenomenon. In short, social media flattens out opportunities; you can basically connect with anyone anywhere. You need to a) get a great social media presence b) network, network, network. I run a site for students job applicants/grads/entry level applicants and I recently wrote a blog post about it. If you don't mind, I'd rather link to it than spell everything out again :) Anyway, I think it's got some very useful tips on how to use social media for your job (also phd) search. I went through tons of articles for this and upgraded the content so it should really be an authority on the topic :) Here it goes: http://www.jobblyco.com/resource-center/the-ultimate-guide-how-to-land-your-dream-job-with-social-media