When most professionals hear the Connections Hint Today Forbes they picture their inner circle: the former boss who wrote their last recommendation, the college classmate they grab monthly happy hour with, the current team lead who advocates for them in meetings. We’re taught that success depends on nurturing these “strong ties”—the people we talk to regularly, who know our work inside and out.
But what if the biggest career opportunities of 2024 aren’t coming from the people you already talk to every week? According to Forbes’ 2024 Career Mobility Report, a joint analysis with LinkedIn of 5.2 million global career transitions in 2023, 78% of professionals who landed a new role with a 20% or higher salary bump credited a “weak tie” for the opportunity. Only 12% attributed their success to a close professional contact.
Forbes’ findings aren’t just a fluke. They reinforce a decades-old social science theory that has never been more relevant than in today’s fast-changing job market: weak ties—the people you’ve met once at a conference, the former intern you on-boarded for a month, the colleague from a past job you haven’t messaged in 18 months—are the most powerful connectors to new opportunities, insights, and growth.
What Forbes’ 2024 Career Mobility Report Actually Found
Forbes and LinkedIn’s research set out to answer a simple but critical question: which types of professional connections most often lead to meaningful career advancement? The team analyzed data from users across 30+ industries, tracking everything from who referred candidates to open roles, who shared unadvertised job leads, and who provided critical industry insights that led to promotions.
The results surprised even the researchers. Of the professionals who landed a role that paid 20% more than their previous job, 62% learned about the opportunity from someone they had interacted with fewer than 5 times in the past two years. Another 16% learned about the role from someone they had only met once.
Forbes senior contributor and career strategist Jenny Blake, who helped analyze the data, wrote in her accompanying column: “We’ve been trained to think that ‘better networking’ means meeting more people. But the data shows the opposite: better networking means remembering the people you already know, but haven’t prioritized.”
Blake explained that weak ties function as “information bridges” between your existing network and entirely new circles. Your strong ties tend to move in the same orbits as you: they read the same newsletters, apply to the same jobs, and know the same hiring managers. Weak ties, by contrast, are embedded in communities you have no direct access to. A freelance designer you met at a 2022 creative summit might be working with a startup that’s hiring a full-time design director—a role that will never be posted publicly. A former entry-level colleague who left your company to join a fintech might know their team is looking for someone with your exact compliance expertise.
Why Weak Ties Outperform Strong Ties for Modern Career Growth
Forbes’ report didn’t just quantify the impact of weak ties—it also broke down why they’re so much more effective than strong ties for today’s professionals. There are three key, data-backed reasons:
1. Weak ties unlock the hidden job market
Forbes has long reported that 70-80% of open roles are never advertised publicly. These make up the “hidden job market”—roles filled via referrals, Connections Hint Today Forbes recommendations, or word-of-mouth. Your strong ties are unlikely to know about these roles, because they’re in the same loop as you. Weak ties, however, are in different teams, industries, or geographies, so they hear about these unposted opportunities first.
In a 2023 Forbes career profile, sales director Marcus Reed explained how he landed a VP of Sales role at a fast-growing SaaS startup without ever submitting an application. A former client he’d worked with for one quarter in 2021 reached out to him unsolicited, saying: “I just joined a startup that’s scaling their enterprise sales team, and I immediately thought of you. The CEO doesn’t want to post the role yet—would you be open to a chat?” Reed took the role, and secured a 35% salary increase.
2. Weak ties give unbiased, actionable feedback
When you’re considering a career shift, a promotion, or a new project, your strong ties are often hesitant to give you honest feedback. They don’t want to hurt your feelings, or risk damaging your relationship. Weak ties, by contrast, have no stake in your ego—so they’re far more likely to tell you the truth.
Forbes’ data found that 41% of professionals who received critical feedback that led to a promotion got that feedback from a weak tie. For example, a marketing manager who reached out to a former conference attendee to ask for input on a portfolio update might hear: “Your case studies are great, but you’re not highlighting the revenue impact of your campaigns—hiring managers in B2B tech care about that above all else.” That kind of targeted feedback could be the difference between getting an interview and being passed over.
3. Weak ties expand your “signal range”
In a world where industries are evolving faster than ever—thanks to AI, remote work, and shifting consumer behavior—staying ahead requires access to new information. Your strong ties are likely consuming the same content, attending the same webinars, and following the same thought leaders as you. Weak ties, however, are exposed to entirely different ideas.
Forbes contributor and tech analyst Alex Kantrowitz noted in a recent piece that many of the most successful tech professionals he interviews credit weak ties for introducing them to game-changing tools or trends. “A software engineer I spoke to last month told me that a former intern he’d mentored for two weeks in 2020 sent him a link to an early version of GitHub Copilot,” Kantrowitz wrote. “That tool cut his coding time in half, and helped him land a promotion to senior engineer.”
How to Reactivate Weak Ties (Forbes-Recommended Strategies)
The biggest mistake professionals make, according to Forbes’ report, is assuming that reactivating a weak tie requires a big ask. In reality, the most successful reconnections start small, genuine, and without any agenda. Here are the four evidence-backed strategies Forbes recommends:
1. Start with a specific, genuine compliment
Forget the generic “hope you’re doing well!” message. Forbes data shows that 68% of weak ties will respond to a message that references a specific, recent win or update they’ve shared publicly. For example:
“Hi Priya, I saw on LinkedIn that you led your team to launch that new patient portal at Mercy Health—congrats! I remember you talking about wanting to make healthcare more accessible back when we worked on that temporary project at XYZ Consulting in 2022, and it’s so cool to see you turning that vision into reality. No ask here—just wanted to say I’m impressed.”
This message is short, specific, and makes the recipient feel seen. It doesn’t ask for anything, so it doesn’t put them on the spot.
2. Offer value before you ask for anything
If you do eventually have an ask—whether it’s a job lead, a piece of advice, or a referral—Forbes says you should first offer something small. This could be sharing an article that’s relevant to their work, introducing them to someone in your network, or even just tagging them in a social media post that highlights their expertise.
For example, if you see a former colleague has started a new role in sustainable fashion, you could send them a link to a recent Forbes piece about circular fashion supply chains, with a note: “Saw this article and immediately thought of you—figured you might find it useful for your new role.” This small gesture builds goodwill, and makes them far more likely to help you later.
3. Be clear and concise with your ask (if you have one)
If you do decide to make an ask, don’t be vague. Forbes warns against messages like “can you help me find a job?” Instead, be specific, and keep your request small. For example:
“Hi Tom, I hope this note finds you well. I saw you’ve been at Green Energy Labs for two years now, and I’m currently exploring senior data science roles in renewable energy. I’d love to pick your brain for 10 minutes about one thing you wish you’d known when you first joined the industry. No pressure at all—just thought you’d have great insight.”
This ask is small, specific, and respectful of their time. It also gives them a clear way to say yes or no without feeling obligated.
4. Follow up thoughtfully
The biggest mistake you can make after a reconnection, according to Forbes, is forgetting to follow up. If someone helps you—whether they give you advice, connect you to someone, or share a lead—send a thank-you note within 24 hours. Then, a few weeks later, send an update: “I took your advice and reached out to Jamie at Solar Innovations, and I just had my first interview. Thank you so much for the introduction—this wouldn’t have happened without you.”
This not only shows gratitude, but it also keeps the relationship alive for future opportunities.
Common Mistakes to Avoid (Per Forbes’ Analysis)
Forbes’ report also highlighted the most common mistakes professionals make when trying to reactivate weak ties. Avoid these at all costs:
- The cold ask: Don’t message someone you haven’t spoken to in three years and say “can you get me a job?” This comes off as transactional, and will almost always be ignored.
- Over-apologizing: You don’t need to say “I know it’s been forever, sorry to bother you.” This undermines your own value, and makes the recipient feel awkward.
- Treating connections as transactions: Networking is not about what someone can do for you. It’s about building mutual relationships. If you only reach out when you need something, people will stop responding.
- Ghosting: If someone takes time to help you, don’t disappear. Even a short update goes a long way.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Forbes’ 2024 Career Mobility Report makes one thing clear: your network is not a list of contacts on LinkedIn. It’s a web of people you’ve already made a small, meaningful impression on—you just need to remind them you exist.
You don’t need to attend 10 networking events this month. You don’t need to add 100 new connections to your profile. All you need to do is pick three weak ties from your network this week, and send them a genuine, no-agenda message celebrating something they’ve accomplished.
