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How Relatively Weak LinkedIn Ties Can Help You Find a New Job

One of the most essential things to do in the corporate world is to build a strong network. A solid network is crucial since strong allies may help you advance in your profession by proposing newer and better possibilities for you or by promoting your name at various tables that may turn out to be some of the finest alternatives suited to your talents. However, it is critical to remember that meeting new people and presenting oneself to them is one thing, but having people by your side is quite another. People that know you and your talents well are called your strong ties, while others who know less about you are regarded as your weak ties. While strong links may be worth concentrating your attention on, this MIT News article argues that weak ties may be even more successful in getting you a new job.

According to the report, a large-scale experiment co-directed by an MIT academic demonstrates that on LinkedIn, weak ties are more likely to get you a new job than ties with individuals you know well. The experiment concludes that weak ties have a value that strong ones do not. The article emphasizes this because individuals you know best may have social networks that are similar to your own and hence may not provide you with any additional job-seeking value. More casual contacts, on the other hand, have social networks that overlap less with yours and may give connections or information you would not otherwise be able to access, according to the article. According to the article, weak ties are a crucial source of influence and information dispersion, mobility opportunities, and community organization. This is due to the difficulty in distinguishing the influence of someone’s social network from their networking abilities. In addition, it is difficult to discover trustworthy data sets relating social networks to job searches in the first place. According to the MIT article, the researchers measured tie strength in two ways: by interaction intensity, which was based on the number of message conversations people had, and in structural terms, which was based on the number of mutual friends two users shared. The researchers believe the number of connections you share with someone and the utility of these to have an upside-down U-shape form, with the connecting bar between the two sides of the ‘U’ stated to have fairly weak relationships. According to the study, it is critical to examine weak relationships in terms of interaction intensity and structural bridging. Finally, the article emphasizes that considering weak ties for a job in the digital sector is even more crucial, whereas strong relationships are the best in analog businesses. This is due to the “refresh rate” of digital sectors, which continues to evolve swiftly, making it more vital to have a diverse set of connections, particularly weak relationships in such domains.

When it comes to asking for a reference for a new job, weak ties are frequently neglected. More often than not, it is the perception of asking for a favor from someone you do not know well. However, a completely contrary situation is described in the preceding text, which is based on an MIT post.

To have an edge in the job market, visit MIT PE Technology Leadership Program (TLP).

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