Connecting to the job

Jobs are found through ‘weak ties’. These are the people with loose connections who span different networks. We know that most jobs are found through word-of-mouth, but it’s not your best buddies’ word of mouth, it’s the word you get from buddies you know (possibly through other buddies) as acquaintances.

If you are one of those people who are able to connect across several networks you are more likely to pick up on job opportunities. Is there a personality that finds this style of relationship easy?

A recent study finds that roles in networks are related to personality. Extroverts are more likely to have relationships that are both strong and weak across networks. These people tended to categorise themselves in terms of group memberships and be less individualistic. The mix of strong and weak connections means that the extroverted person is likely to be able to manage more connections and fit into more groups. This means that extroverts are more likely to pick up on hot news – whether that is about a job opportunity or a great cafe.

What does this mean for less extroverted who want to tune into the hot news? The simple answer is to act more extroverted. Develop relationships with people who are not in the best buddy category – the sort of person you chat to when you bump into them, or send a text or email, poke, like or comment on Facebook, or better yet call to catch up with.

https://persona-plus.com/blog/details/connecting-to-the-job.html