Word-of-mouth leads in Raleigh - what worked for you?

A friend who works at a local manufacturer says there are openings not advertised online. They like a brief email with a résumé. Does anyone have similar leads?

A short email with two sentences about what you can do and your résumé attached worked for me. I followed up after a week.

Keep a list of who you contacted and when. It makes follow-ups easy.