I think this is good advice with a very major footnote. You can't reach out to somebody the first time inquiring about introductions or jobs. That will piss them off and they will ignore you.
I had an acquaintance from college write me one day and ask me how I was. I wrote back to say hello, thinking he wanted to reconnect. In his next response he started asking me about connections for summer internships. I didn't respond. Not intentionally, just because I realized he was trying to leverage me for connections and I had no interest in talking further. In retrospect I could've been more helpful as I've been helped a number of times by people I did nothing for, but realize that most people don't like to feel used.
Of course you ultimately want to help yourself, but to be effective, you've got to start further upstream. Spend time getting to know the person, what their interests are, and see if you can first help them. Once their barrier is down they are going to be a lot more helpful.
Sure you can. Just don't reach out to an old friend who you've lost contact with. That just seems sketchy.
Being upfront ("I'm looking for a job, and I'd like to know what kind of platform you guys are using / what kind of skills you are looking for ...") is also good. As long as you're polite.
If a stranger asks you for help, your first response will be "sure, why not?". You're not trying to leverage a friendship by cold calling some guy at a company - it's just business. Cold calling friends, on the other hand, can seem sketchy. If you do want to cold call a friend, it's probably better to ask advice.
Actually, it's probably always better to frame it as advice, since the people you cold call won't want to give you a firm answer.
I had an acquaintance from college write me one day and ask me how I was. I wrote back to say hello, thinking he wanted to reconnect. In his next response he started asking me about connections for summer internships. I didn't respond. Not intentionally, just because I realized he was trying to leverage me for connections and I had no interest in talking further. In retrospect I could've been more helpful as I've been helped a number of times by people I did nothing for, but realize that most people don't like to feel used.
Of course you ultimately want to help yourself, but to be effective, you've got to start further upstream. Spend time getting to know the person, what their interests are, and see if you can first help them. Once their barrier is down they are going to be a lot more helpful.