Why is a word-of-mouth recommendation so more commonplace in certain professions?
My son, an aspiring concert lighting designer, mentioned that many gigs are still gotten through word of mouth – you assist someone, and they recommend you a gig, and it goes from there.
That’s natural for two reasons. First, because humans value personal recommendations better than statistics. (Would you rather get advice on a plumber from an aggregate of 1,000 reviews or from a friend? Probably a friend, because their perspective is of value to you.) So if I’m looking for a lighting designer, or a bass player, or, yes, a plumber, I’m going to ask friends who know the industry who they’d recommend.
The second, just as important reason, is because it’s not just about the skills. If I’m a touring lighting designer, I’m going to be on the road with a crew and performing group 24 hours a day – only 2 of which involves the gig itself. The time you spend outside of the gig is just as important, and a colleague’s recommendation is a much better way to find the right kind of person for your team than a job posting.