[EwanG]

Almost hate to say it, but this is where a place like LinkedIn can really shine. Almost any profession has one or more interest groups on there where you can share stories with folks of a similar interest. You do have to be careful as more popular professions have their share of groups that are little more than recruiters and desperate job hunters in a mortal spiral. But reading for a while before joining can usually help you steer clear of those.

[refurb]

Agreed. If you don't have the network to find a job, create it. Cold calling/emails is a pretty inefficient way to do it, but it does work. Figure out what kind of job you want, find people that have that job and start talking to them. The most important thing is DON'T ASK THEM FOR A JOB. Just ask them how they got there and what advice they have for you. I've gotten more job offers that way than any other method.