Does networking actually work for finding jobs?
Yes, and the mechanism is better understood than the advice usually suggests — which matters, because knowing why it works tells you what kind of networking to do.
The finding behind it. Mark Granovetter's research, published as The Strength of Weak Ties, found that people who found jobs through contacts overwhelmingly did so through acquaintances rather than close friends. The result has been influential for decades and has been supported by later large-scale studies, including experimental work on professional networking platforms.
Why weak ties outperform strong ones. Your close contacts largely know what you know and who you know — you move in the same circles and see the same opportunities. An acquaintance sits in a different information network. They hear about openings, changes and plans you would never encounter. The value is not affection or willingness to help; it is non-overlapping information.
The second mechanism: the hidden market. A substantial share of roles are filled before or without meaningful external advertising — through internal moves, referrals and speculative approaches. A contact does not merely tell you about a vacancy; they frequently tell you about one that has not been created yet.
The third: referral as a signal. An internal referral changes how an application is read, and referred candidates are hired at higher rates. Employers run referral schemes precisely because the outcomes are better.
What this implies about how to do it:
Breadth beats depth. Many loose connections are worth more than a few very close ones, for this specific purpose.
Dormant ties are underrated — former colleagues from years ago are weak ties with existing trust.
Be specific in asking. "Do you know anyone working in X?" is answerable; "let me know if you hear of anything" is not.
Ask for information and introductions, not jobs. People can rarely give a job and can almost always give a conversation.
The uncomfortable caveat: networking advantages compound existing advantage, which is precisely why structured referral and outreach schemes exist.