I don't feel entitled to work somewhere because I'm qualified. I feel that if I'm qualified and would be a good fit, that the company should want to hire me. The problem is that they often don't get a good picture of how qualified I am or how good of a fit I could be. That is the problem.
2. For cross-continental meetings, substitute coffee for phone call. Or serendipitously turn up at a conference, a panel, or in the executive wash room. This is all the easier with twitter and 4-square. Hustling is not stalking according to my attorney :-)
3. Companies don't hire you. People hire you. It is your job to get PEOPLE interested in you, and that does not come from a resume, qualifications, or any other credential. Those are incidentals and formalities "after the fact."
Shh..little secret..od you know how programmers skip FB or Google HR?
They submit a product to FB or Google that gets a buyout offer..
Smaller firms its much easier to skip HR..you just get a hld of the engineer manager