I have a few tips for new players.
You can look on the forum and add other players to your friends list. They don't need to add you in order for you to book them. You can send a request via the game requesting them to add you.
If you want to be confirmed as a friend you should make sure to confirm the jobs people book with you. Don't just leave people hanging. I know I will remove people from my friends list who more then once don't confirm my jobs with them.
I have push messages, so that I can confirm jobs you book with me immediately. That makes a difference in the time it takes to process a job.
Also, to get more friends, you can look at the friends lists of your current friends and add people from there.
Also, try not to let your farms stay dead for too long. I know that I wont book jobs with someone whose farms are either empty or have dead crops. (just my own rule of thumb because I have had too many jobs rejected).
Hope that helps everyone.
Maryw2010