Out of uni: got lucky with interview (literally a card game where I was dealt good cards).
Next: passed interview, quit after a few weeks for the next thing...
Next: Connection from top job
Next: Connection from previous job
Next: Connection from above
Next: HN
Next: Connection from previous
Next: Recruiter cold called me
I've also referred two people for jobs they got in the past half a year, to connections I made when looking for work.
I also use my connections extensively for technical things. Eg if I have a Terraform question, I have a devops guy who worked for me. If I have a cpp question, there's a couple of other ex staff. If I have a Rust question, there's a guy. Web stuff, there's several.
Build your network, you'll find it both useful and fulfilling.
Ditto. Though I've done software development, I'm not a developer. But my first job out of grad school was an on-campus interview. My three jobs since over a couple of decades have all been through people I knew where my resume was probably not more than glanced at.
I got my current job at a medium sized tech company by being fast tracked without a CV or technical interview
The magic of networking
Edit: ah yeah, and at my previous job I got told at the interview “you’re here despite your cv”
I literally wouldn’t have a career without networking