Opportunity rarely arrives the way you expect

I used to think opportunities were simply only a work of timing and luck. That lucky email, a chance introduction, that classmate who happened to know someone. But when I look back on how I landed my internship at Curator, it didn't really come out of nowhere. It came from a concept I didn't even know existed at the time: a weak tie.

In The Defining Decade, clinical psychologist Meg Jay describes weak ties as acquaintances, former colleagues, or friends-of-friends — people outside our close daily circle who act as bridges to new opportunities. Her argument is simple: your close friends share your bubble and your information, while weak ties live in a different bubble entirely with access to doors you may never encounter otherwise.

I didn't know any of that when I sent the LinkedIn message that ultimately led me to Curator. I just knew I was anxious and uncertain about the future.

Kai Htan, Curator’s intern for Winter/Spring 2026

The leap

A few months ago, I moved across the country from New York to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. Along with packing up my belongings, I had to leave behind my stable office job on my community college campus. It was one of the biggest decisions I had ever made in my life, and with it came a level of uncertainty I hadn't fully prepared for.

The biggest concern was money. I had promised my parents I would cover my own rent and daily expenses while they covered tuition, and I intended to keep that promise. The thought of arriving in a city where I knew no one, with no job lined up, was overwhelming. Before I had even finished packing, I was already researching fall internships.

I was determined to leave my comfort bubble and build a new life in Seattle. I just had no idea how I was going to do it.

One bold message

I applied for an internship at Curator, but seeing that there were many other applicants, I felt discouraged and doubted myself. How could I even stand out in such a big pool?

Eventually, I realized my resume alone probably couldn’t do all the heavy lifting. I researched the team on LinkedIn and decided to reach out to an Account Executive named Elsa Fletcher. I drafted a message and sat there staring at it, convincing myself It sounded too pushy.

After almost an hour of overthinking, I finally hit send.

I messaged her on LinkedIn, fully expecting no response. To my surprise, she agreed to chat.

The conversation

When I saw her reply, I was shocked. I prepared for the call as intensely as I would for a job interview, and minutes before it started, my nerves completely kicked in. However, the moment the conversation started, I made a decision to stop trying so hard to sound perfect and just enjoy talking to her.

At first, it was formal. I asked about how Curator operates and about her experience in the industry. But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like networking and started feeling like a genuine conversation between two people.

By the end of the call, she said she had enjoyed talking with me and added that while she wasn’t involved in hiring decisions, she would be happy to put in a good word for me. I had to stop myself from smiling so hard – I never asked for a referral. The connection formed naturally through a simple phone call.

Maybe not so weak after all

That's the thing about weak ties — they don't seem significant in the moment. A stranger on LinkedIn. A one-hour conversation. A polite offer at the end of a call. But those small bridges are often the ones that carry you furthest because they connect you to rooms and opportunities outside your close circle.

The courageous first step

My experience isn't a formula. Cold messages don't always work, and not every weak tie turns into an opportunity. But I've learned that the people who change your trajectory are often the ones you were initially nervous to reach out to in the first place.

If you're sitting in front of a blank message right now, worried about seeming awkward or too forward, send it. Relationships start before job offers do. Sometimes one conversation really can change where you end up.

The person who helped kickstart my life in Seattle wasn't a lifelong connection or someone close to me. She was a stranger on LinkedIn who didn't owe me anything — a weak tie. And as it turned out, that was exactly what I needed.