TRAINING

How to find a job through strong and weak ties

Strong and weak ties are the most effective way to find your next job, but most people use them worse than they could.

This training is about systematically reactivating your connections, talking about your search in a way that makes people want to help, and not relying on submitted résumés alone.

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Why searching for a job alone works more slowly

The default path after losing a job is to update your résumé and start applying on job boards. That works, but slowly: your résumé competes with hundreds of others, and the role is often already filled before your application reaches the right person.

In parallel, there's a path fewer people use, even though it's more effective: instead of waiting for a role to appear publicly, hear about it earlier — through people who already know a position is opening at their company or with someone they know.

The problem is that this path needs a skill most people don't have: not 'asking for a job,' but letting your network know you're looking, clearly and without awkwardness, and giving people an easy way to help.

In his 1973 paper "The Strength of Weak Ties," Mark Granovetter showed that people find jobs more often through distant acquaintances than through close friends.
Your close circle mostly knows what you already know — new information travels through "weak ties": friends of friends, people in adjacent circles.
Mark Granovetter, "The Strength of Weak Ties" (1973)

Who this training is for

Those who recently lost their job
The first weeks after a layoff are the best time to activate your network, while you still have energy and the news is still fresh.
Those searching quietly, without going public
When you can't openly say you're job hunting because of your current position, but still need to test the market through people you trust.
Those changing profession or industry
A move into a new field rarely happens through a job application — more often through a conversation with someone already working where you want to be.
Those looking for remote work
A remote search works differently: fewer in-person meetings, more online reputation and activity in digital communities — we cover this separately.
IT/Tech company specialists
Not just engineers: marketers, designers, sales, biz dev, recruiters, and HR.
Specialists at any level
From junior to top management: the program works for a first deliberate job search and for a move into a leadership role alike.
Non-IT specialists
Those with combined experience across industries, as well as those planning to move into IT for the first time.

What the program covers

Networking as a job search tool: Why strong and weak ties outperform job applications: how recruiters and hiring managers actually fill roles, and where you fit into that.
Weak ties: how to reactivate and who to reach: Mapping the contacts that have drifted out of focus — former colleagues, classmates, clients, partners. Who among them is likely to know about open roles, and in what order to reach out.
Self-presentation for a job search: A short, clear statement of who you are and what you're looking for — no résumé, no 'anything in your field would work.' Something easy to forward along a chain of introductions.
How to talk about your search: What to write in a direct message, how to open a conversation without it feeling like a favor, and how to phrase a specific ask that's easy to answer: an intro, advice, an outside perspective.
Professional communities: Which communities, chats, and platforms in your industry are worth finding and using — and how to show up in them so you're remembered, not lost in the noise.
Remote job search: what's different: A remote search relies less on in-person meetings and more on your digital footprint: your profile, your portfolio, activity in relevant online communities, and asynchronous communication with people in other time zones.
A system instead of scattered attempts: How to track contacts and commitments so you don't forget to follow up, don't message the same person twice with the same question, and can see real progress in your search.

What changes after the program

A clear list of people to start with, and clarity on exactly what to say to them.
Talking about your job search stops feeling like asking for a favor.
Professional communities in your field become a working channel, not a source of awkwardness.
A system: who you contacted, what they said, when to follow up.
You'll train your self-presentation — a short, confident statement about yourself that works in writing and on a call.
A clear strategy: one track for an international career, another for a job search in Russia.

Frequently asked questions

What if I barely have any useful contacts?

Almost everyone has more connections than it seems — they're just 'cold': former colleagues, classmates, people you met at conferences. We cover how to map them out and where to start reactivating them.

Won't this feel like asking for a favor?

It will, if you ask the wrong way. We work through specific phrasing that sounds less like a request for help and more like a clear, specific question that's easy to answer in a minute.

I'm searching quietly while still employed at my current company. Does this fit?

Yes. We cover how to run that kind of search carefully: who to tell about your plans and how, so it doesn't create problems at your current job, while still getting the information you need without going public.

How is a remote job search different?

Fewer in-person meetings and third-hand referrals — more weight on what people can see about you online: your profile, work samples, activity in relevant communities. You also need to build trust with people you'll never meet in person.

What format is the training?

Online, 4 weeks. Includes a review of your current network and practising the exact phrasing for your situation.