Honestly, I disagree, my partner just did exactly this. 50+ “cold” applications with a single first round interview. Tracked down where the head of design of one company was going to be at an event, cornered her, chatted for 10mins and was then fast tracked through an interview process and had the job signed 2 weeks later. I know that is a sample of 1, but I’ve spent most of my time as the hirer, going the extra mile to stand out does make a difference even more so in this f’d up AI infected hiring world we’re now in.