FWIW one of the things about advice on job hunting (and a lot of other things in life tbh) is that no one ever seems to acknowledge that, more often than we like to think, it's just luck. Yes reaching out to your network is good, putting yourself out there through direct contact where possible is good (early in my career two jobs which were real stepping stones came from emailing a head of and ceo directly after a co…
Luck plays a big role, but it is not just luck. One can apply in a way that significantly stacks the deck in his favor. So absolutely reach out to your network, study the current market and find your edge. It might still be poker-style games which you can still lose because of luck; but doing that gives you starting hands with two aces. My 2c.
Noticed a typo in my original post; my last point is about how different things are when you do have a job vs you don't have a job. Money, not even a lot but enough to stop you hemorrhaging out, offers a lot of freedom to be quite tactical in a way that does help things in your favour.
But it's different when that isn't the case and i think people underestimate the mental load that takes and how detrimental it is to necessarily bringing your best self if you do land an interview. Its always easier when you have some of that comfort which is why sometimes I think just landing something, preferably within your long-term field, rather than necessarily being very particular can make sense.