Your closest friends are less useful in a job search than people you barely know.
Anti-intuitive, but true. Here’s why.
The people you know well are few in number, and may all work in only 2 or 3 different companies. They all know about the same job openings.
There are a lot more people you barely know. They are spread through a much more diverse set of companies and geographical areas. There is a much better chance that the people you barely know will tell you about a job or company you didn’t know exists.
Some studies have been done on job hunting through strong and weak networks. It turns out that people really do get better job leads from weak connections.
Moral of the story: Tell everyone you know, meet, and recognize about your job search. You may just get a lead to an unbeatable job by talking to those folks you barely know.
Something To Do Today
Have you been spreading your job net as wide as you can? Talk to people you barely know from an association, your church, a club, or your kid’s soccer league. Tell them about your job search. It may just work.
And, do talk to your close friends about your job search.
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Later: How many times…
A Korean attitude