[dougws]

I've got two conflicting viewpoints on this article.

On the one hand, I got my current job (as one of the first 10 employees at a startup) by "traditional" means--I saw a job ad, responded to it, interviewed, and accepted the offer. It worked great.

On the other hand, I am now on the other side of the process, and I really wish more people would follow your advice. Enthusiasm goes a really long way--if you're competent and likable, I will likely vote to hire you if you seem enthusiastic. Sending individual emails and doing company-specific prep for your interview should be a no-brainer. Have enough confidence in your technical chops (or non-technical jobs, I guess, if you're non-technical) to put effort into the other aspects of your job search.