Most people would completely understand if you told them you found your new employer through a close friend. That’s how the majority of job candidates land good opportunities from who they know – right? Maybe. At least starting with who you know is a good first step however job leads can come from different sources and some from whom you least expect.
Case in point, last week a job candidate was telling me how he first met his new employer through a friend of a friend connection. His story is a great example of how job leads surface in unexpected ways from people you don’t even know. He was surprised because the lead didn’t come directly from his friend rather from an acquaintance that his friend thought of at the last minute.
Looking back he learned a couple of valuable lessons from his career transition that might help you as well. One of which was planning that helped him structure his time and that gave him weekly goals to accomplish.
Secondly he learned how important it is to communicate starting with people he knew best like family and friends but it’s important to keep an open mind that leads can come from people whom you least know. The assumption that only the contacts you know are helpful and limit your ability to gain new information.
He relied a great deal on those closest to him until a month ago when he felt as if his networking resembled a merry go-round of the same contacts. Even though it felt awkward he realized he needed to change and began reaching out to friends whom he shared conversations with years ago.
From a job search perspective he was right on target by planning and developing a strategy that included talking with people out of his comfort zone. While it sounds logical that your job leads would come from your closet contacts aka “strongest ties” in the unpredictable world of a job search it is equally true that job opportunities can come from your “weakest ties”.
The surprise lead that turned into a job offer for him happens every day to job seekers. According to Dr. Mark Granovetter, social networks are more powerful than you might realize in spreading information and confirms why job candidates land jobs from those they least know.
According to the theory of weak ties, all those brief social exchanges add up and you never know where helpful information will come from in your job search. As with everyone you meet being proactive and following up afterwards keeps the momentum flowing.
Consider how your contacts can help broaden your reach with others by putting the weak ties theory to a test this week. You might be surprised where you find your next dream job.
How have weak ties helped you during your job search?
