If your connection is willing to put in a word for you with the target, all the better.

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If you do, use it, either by sending your contact an email and asking them if they know who is hiring interns, and whether they can put in a good word for you, or better yet, meet in person with your contact and discuss the internship and potential future at the company.

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If he or she can put in a good word for you with your would-be boss, great.

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And, as he himself pointed out, he is unlikely to be getting such privileged access to any members of the current administration in the near future even if Mr Blair does put a good word in for him with his friend George.

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For balance, let me put in a word in defense of the whiners.

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