The Strength Of Weak Ties

A corollary to the Law of 250 is the strength of weak ties. As we stated earlier, if one of your 250 is also a family member or close friend, there will likely be some overlap. You may have 50, 100 or even 150 contacts in common. So it is actually those who are the weakest ties that have the greatest potential for you. Your weekend tennis partner may not share any common first-level contacts within your 250, potentially opening you up to a totally new group of people.

It is typically not your first level contact that may become your eventual hiring manager. In actuality, you will find that the hiring contact may be two, three, even four levels deep.

This is not to discount the importance of the first level contacts--they are the starting point and will determine your eventual success or failure in networking. But don't be surprised if a person completely unknown to you calls you on the phone one day who is a "friend of a friend of a friend" and is referring you to a particular company. Cultivate all your contacts and watch them grow!

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