Jobs at small Portland companies nobody posts about (update)

A friend who works at a local manufacturer says there are openings not advertised online. It has been weighing on me all week. They like a brief email with a résumé. Should I visit in person?

Small employers often hire on recommendation. Ask neighbours, former co-workers and your library.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 3 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.