Don't take your recommendations for granted. If the people you list are anything but easy to reach, and highly enthusiastic, you could lose out on an offer.

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Dear Annie: I've been looking for a job for three months, putting in eight-hour days of contacting people I used to work with, attending industry events, "meeting" people and joining groups on social networking sites, and putting out every other kind of feeler I can think of. I've had a couple of rounds of interviews, but each time, what looked very close to being a solid offer suddenly turned cold.

If networking drives you nuts and you tend to think a while before you respond to interviewers' questions, you may find a job search especially difficult. Here's what to do.

By Anne Fisher, contributor

(Fortune) -- Dear Annie: I lost my job as an IT manager in a downsizing last November and am still looking for another one. Apart from the fact that the tech job market is pretty flat right now, and employers seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach to hiring, I think my personality is getting in my way.

I know I'm supposed to be networking, and I'm trying, but I find it exhausting, and I'm aware that I often don't come across well in a crowd of people I don't know. Also, in the few interviews I've managed to get, I've been asked some interesting questions that required some thought, and I got the impression that I took too long to answer them. My wife says I'm a classic introvert and that this is making my job hunt harder than normal. Your thoughts? -Sudoku Samurai

One job candidate came off as intelligent and prepared, but the second one stunned his prospective employer (in a good way). Here's how it happened

By Liz Ryan

A midlevel market researcher went to a job interview the other day and told me about it. He was struck by the first three questions. "The interviewer came out of the gate at full speed," he said. Still, he thought he did pretty well. Here's a more or less accurate transcript:

So, what are your thoughts on the market research job we're discussing?

By KATE LORENZ, CAREERBUILDER.COM

The vast majority of job seekers admit to emotions ranging from mild uneasiness to downright panic leading up to their interviews. The good news is there have been no reported cases of job seekers who died of nervousness during a job interview. So relax and follow these simple tips for keeping your anxiety at bay before and during your interview.

By Wetfeet.com

Sometimes, interviewers will pelt you with questions that require you to analyze your weaker traits. The types of questions you are likely to encounter in this style of interviewing include: