[Head416]

I agree, personal recommendations trump all. The job I'm at right now is actually the only one I've ever gotten without a personal connection. When I landed my previous position, they didn't bother with their standard three round interview process, I just came in to chat one day them they offered me the position two months earlier than when it was scheduled for.

I'm currently having "lunch" every week or two with a buddy and his boss... just chatting about cars, dogs, etc. He will have many positions to fill in the coming months.

But where I work now, they are hung up on paper. For our positions, if you don't have at least an MCSE, a CCNA, and 10 years sys admin experience you won't get an interview. My boss knows others might be better, but wants to be able to prove the "worth" of his team to the owners. You've got to play to your audience. The more you can ad to your resume the more likely you are to appeal to a wider range of hiring managers.