The day I graduated from college was the day I became another statistic. Rather than show off my fancy title and flashy business cards, I fell into the 80 percent of jobless college grads in 2009.

I spent the better part of my summer trying to break into the happy, employed minority. I sent my resume and cover letter to hundreds of places, applying for every position from New York City publishing internships to the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile girl. But despite my fine-tuned resume, my notable GPA and all my experience, I only got four responses back. And one was for a gig loosely defined as “traveling salesman.” Needless to say, things weren’t looking good.

That’s when I realized I was going about this all wrong. Rather than try to get a job at a faceless company with a generic resume and cover letter, I started thinking about jobs in terms of something I already knew: relationships. When I stepped back from the process and tried something different, things finally started going my way. (After all, it got me this job.)

So from one college grad to another, here’s my advice for snagging the job of your dreams: Don’t think of it as a corporate challenge—think of it as the dating game. Who knows? Maybe it’ll work for you, too.

Step One: Stalk them on Facebook
Be honest—you can name your admiree’s favorite bands and know the last five people who posted on their wall. This is a skill. Take it, channel it, and use it in your job search. Think about how impressed your future employers will be when you walk into an interview and bring up their recent callout in the New York Times. But don’t stop there—read about on their latest achievements, find their employees on LinkedIn, dig up their personal blogs. Anything you find can help you make a more informed decision. And don’t forget—stalking can be fun.

Step Two: Use a Mirror
You’d never go on a date without a little primping, so why should your job search be any different? Don’t let your future employers find those stray hairs in the form of scandalous photos or inappropriate blog posts. Take the time to clean up your image, both online and offline, before you move on to step three…

Step Three: Put Yourself Out There
You won’t get a date sitting in front of your computer for 8 hours a day and in my opinion, you won’t get a job this way, either. Be a little gutsy and be a little different. Take your search to the streets. Put on your interview suit, print off extra copies of your resume, and go door-to-door to sell yourself. It’s much harder to forget a face than to forget an e-mail. By the way, you may even get some face time with a manager out of it.

Step Four: Flirt
You’ve been there before: played by the players. We all have. But now it’s your turn to be mysterious. Look deeply into their eyes, flash them your pearly whites…then disappear. There’s something undeniably attractive about seeing something you can’t have, so be surprising. Send them a Starbucks gift card and invite them out for coffee, drop an anonymous note thanking the hiring manager for their consideration, then return later with your full portfolio. They’ll be too intrigued to turn you down.

Step Five: Let Them Come to You
Here’s the fun part. If you played your cards right up until now, you may literally get your future employer chasing you down the street to offer you an interview. (That’s what happened to me!) Give them a chance to respond to your flirtatious invitation. When they do, turn on the charm and dazzle them with everything else you know.

Step Six: Leave Your Purse (or Wallet) Behind
Or in my case, a portfolio. Sure, maybe it’s a bit manipulative. But all’s fair in love, war, and job hunting, so take off the gloves. Drop them a quick e-mail letting them know how sorry you are about the inconvenience, but you really need to pick up your portfolio. Tell them you need it for another interview. You’ll get another couple of minutes of face time in the office, and they’ll get a reality check that you’re a sought-after candidate.

Step Seven: Text Them in the Morning
The first date may have ended, but the game’s not over yet. Keep up the communication with them so they know you’re more than a flakey, one-night stand. But remember: You’re better than one of those clingy, desperate types—give it at least half a day before sending them a thank-you note or e-mail.

Step Eight: Wait
There’s really no easy way to say it. This is the hardest part of all—waiting for their response. Keep in mind that they have a lot of other people to sort through, so don’t expect an immediate answer. Give it about a week. Take the lag time to repeat steps one through seven with any other eligible companies on your radar. You have to keep your options open, just in case you don’t make it all the way to step nine…

Step Nine: Make it Facebook Official
Congratulations! You got a job offer! But don’t get too excited yet. Like any relationship (jobs included), it’s not official until it’s on Facebook. Don’t let them treat you like a part-time employee when you thought you were getting a full-time gig. Keep all your other options open until the day you get that new e-mail address to add to your Facebook profile. And once you do, by all means, post it all over your news feed.

Bethany, aka Agent 94, really did get me to run after her on the hottest day of the summer in Philadelphia. I don’t run after too many people. I’m glad I did. You can follow her exploits on Twitter. She’s @Agent94_. You might also like to look at the employer’s side in 50 Best Tips for Getting the Job You Always Wanted. -Frank