The help you need is usually one honest sentence away from arriving.

We would rather struggle in dignity than ask and be seen struggling. So we carry a job search, a medical bill or a failing business alone for months, while people who could help sit in our contacts.

Most people are glad to be asked. Being asked says: I think you are capable, and I trust you with something that matters to me. That is a compliment, not a burden.

Ask specifically. Not let me know if you hear anything, but can you introduce me to your colleague at that firm this week. Vague requests are easy to ignore without guilt.