Idea in Brief

THE RESEARCH Classic research conducted decades ago still holds true today: The best chance of landing a good job is by tapping personal contacts. The most valuable contacts, it turns out, are the ones who aren’t too close to you, speak to you infrequently, and work in occupations different from your own—so-called “weak ties.” THE PROCESS Choose 100 weak ties, and then rank them according to the attractiveness of their possible offers and the quality of your relationship. Begin by connecting with those who fall lower on the list to give you practice. End the process when you have a good chance of landing a job with the leads you have (the author offers an Excel support tool for estimating probabilities). Due diligence on your part is also required: a refresher on best…

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Harvard Business Review Special Issues (Digital) - 1 Issue, Fall 2022

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