Why might acquaintances prove to be more important in the job search process than our family and friends (as is argued in the "strength of weak ties" thesis)? In what circumstances is embeddedness more valuable to a person than weak ties?

According to the strength of weak ties thesis, a person is more likely to find job connections through acquaintances.

Explanation:

Acquaintances are strictly work related connections a person has which are different from their family and friends in that they are formed by taking business dealings and professional life of a person in mind and then making connections.

These connections are often better suited when looking for jobs as a person can maintain more acquaintances and also they are all going to be in the similar industry as the person so they have a bigger chance of coming up with a good offer for them.