I just discovered an entry (me and approximately 1000 diggers) posted by Collis Ta’eed, which gives designers tips to get web design jobs (The secret to getting a lot of web design work). But what draw my interest was not the 6 points the article is proposing but the introductory note:

“Each week I get two or three requests for design work. They come sometimes from contacts, but more often than not they come from random people. Sometimes they even come from web-famous people or well-known companies. What is interesting about this though is that I no longer freelance, advertise for work or even have a portfolio.”

It reminded me of the influential work of Mark Granovetter: The strength of weak ties. Granovetter says that most people find jobs not from their close friends, but from random acquaintances (weak ties).

It is based on a key principle of real networks (like friendships for example): clustering (most of your friends are to some extent friends to each other). This suggests that, looking for a job with the help of your close friends will not be of great assistance, because any openings they might know, you them too. But your acquaintances are moving in different circles than you and therefore have access to different information. He, nonetheless, does not disregard the role of strong ties (close friends); he suggests an equilibrium.

Could Granovetter’s study be applied in the blogosphere? When you first posted your blog, did you tell all your close friends? Or did you also send a short mail to distant acquaintances?