[jsfg_cinti] STRONG RESULTS FROM WEAK TIES

STRONG RESULTS FROM WEAK TIES
John Sullivan, PMP, Contributing Editor
Acquaintances may be your link to your next job opportunity.

Surveys consistently show that most job openings are filled by referral,
proving "who you know" is helpful in getting a job. However, "who you used
to know" or "who you don't know so well" could be even more helpful. In
1973, Mark Granovetter, then a professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins
University, published The Strength of Weak Ties in the American Journal of
Sociology. His study of a random sample of job changers in a Boston suburb
found that 56 percent got their jobs through a personal contact. But his
key finding was that of those 56 percent, 84 percent got their jobs
through a contact they saw "occasionally" or "rarely." This confirmed the
need to seek job-hunting assistance from people other than your closest
contacts, the "weak ties."

"People close to you know the same things you know," says Dr. Granovetter,
author of Getting a Job: A Study of Contacts and Careers. "Weak ties move
in different circles and can give you different information. People get
their jobs disproportionately through weak ties versus strong ties. Other
studies since [1973] generally bear that out."

Dr. Granovetter's findings also show that those who get a job based on a
referral receive a higher salary and have a higher level of job
satisfaction compared to those who got jobs by other methods, such
asanswering ads or through a search firm.

Building Your Network
How can you take advantage of the weak ties in your network? "I think it's
hard to give advice about that," says Dr. Granovetter, now a sociology
professor and department chair at Stanford University. "The most effective
networkers are naturally nice to a large number of people without worrying
about what they will get out of it. They have better networks and weak
ties than those who try too hard."

Strong professional contacts are an important part of a of a personal
network because they provide faster access to the people and information
that can help you succeed at your current job. But they are not the most
effective when seeking a job. "Strong ties do provide things:  emotional 
support,  help, money," says Dr. Granovetter, "but probably not new
information."

Weak ties in some cases could be so obvious you might overlook them. Some
may not even be in your contacts file. Finding them and keeping them takes
only a little extra effort.

When seeking a job, overcome the reluctance to speak about your search and
don't assume someone may not be helpful because you haven't seen them for
some time. Mention your search to everyone.

When co-workers leave for another employer, get their new contact
information and make an effort to keep in touch. They are likely to seek
former colleagues to fill job openings, and they can provide you better
information on the company, its culture and what it's really like to work
there. "You can get higher quality information this way," Dr. Granovetter
says. "The best headhunters cultivate networks [to take advantage of
this]."
Occasions like annual conferences and school reunions offer an easy way to
maintain contact with weak ties. "Weak ties are efficient in terms of
time," Dr. Granovetter says. "They take a minimum of maintenance."

High-Touch, Not High-Tech
Despite  technology, job  hunting remains a personal activity, not a
virtual one. Dr. Granovetter's findings can help job searchers increase
their chances for success by verifying the importance of personal contact
and directing them toward people from all realms of their life, even those
they haven't seen for awhile. "People don't forget each other," says Dr.
Granovetter, "and that's what makes it hard to predict who will Ix-able to
help you."

John Sullivan is an IT project manager in Dayton, Ohio, USA.
PM NETWORK OCTOBER 2005 : WWW.PMI.ORG




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