John and Angela both began their job search activities Monday morning. Each had a list of twenty people to contact. By Friday afternoon John was frustrated. He’d left 11 voice mail messages and had reached only 2 people. Angela had 4 meetings set up by the end of the week. Without speaking directly to her contacts, she had built rapport, scheduled appointments, discussed needs, and received referrals. For John, voice mail was a frustrating barrier; for Angela, a useful ally.