Mimi, your paintings are beautiful! Have you tried Ugly Mug in the U. District or Bottle Rocket Cafe in Wallingford (it was Asterioid Cafe before it moved to Fremont)?

Years ago, I worked for a political consultant, so there was a lot of "schmoozing" involved. The boss liked to emphasize that it was about relationship-building. It was a mix of getting good at small talk and also meeting some really genuine people. One time, we all took the Myers-Briggs test as a little professional development exercise and when we shared our results, turns out I was one of only three introverts in the company . . . and the boss was another!

I was raised also not to toot my own horn -- my mom likes to say there were jobs waiting for them when their generation finished college, and she thinks some of the things I put on my resume sound like bragging. But these days, you HAVE to be proactive. And it's not bragging if it's true.

I say be proactive rather than aggressive. Find an approach that works for you, that you're comfortable with. Try doing some informational interviews. They're a great way to learn about an employer and practice talking about yourself without the pressure of whether a job is on the line. Send thank you notes and stay in touch with people! Those are things you can do without feeling like you're doing the icky-schmoozy thing.