<p>On the other hand, an insider may be too powerless, too chicken, or too indifferent to help so don’t count all your network chickens until they hatch or something like that…</p>
<p>When I was in college in the 80s I helped - REALLY HELPED - a classmate finish his thesis (proof reading, formatting, references, and the occasional section or two :)) as he left school right before finishing his graduate research and defending his thesis. His company in a posh Florida city was looking for a coder. After many hours of help he ended passing the resume of a compatriot of his that had a child with a chronic medical condition and needed insurance STAT. The guy was hired and all I had was an entry in the acknowledgements section…</p>
<p>Before you ask anyone to help make sure they plan to do it…</p>