Careers are funny - what you know vs. who you know

[moshquerade]

it's both.

 

[spidey07]

Actually, anyone with a brain would know Spidey is 100% incorrect.

Do you regularly search for services and products from people who DO NOT know what they are doing?

Let's go to do that mechanic down the street who is super nice but can't do shit! Or how about that hair salon that can't cut horse's hair, let alone human. Oh I know, we'll pick that awesome airliner company that uses planes that drop out of sky! Woo!

I don't think you're getting how the real world works yet. The who you know portion in your analogy would be multiple referrals that I'm a good mechanic and therefore I would be highly sought after and even compensated better. It wouldn't matter if I was a good mechanic or not, the perception is that I was.

And believe it or not, perception is reality. It actually creates it. One must learn this early and use it to their advantage. The modern business world is all just one big game and it's best to learn how to play it.

 

[kami333]

I don't think you're getting how the real world works yet. The who you know portion in your analogy would be multiple referrals that I'm a good mechanic and therefore I would be highly sought after and even compensated better. It wouldn't matter if I was a good mechanic or not, the perception is that I was.

And believe it or not, perception is reality. It actually creates it. One must learn this early and use it to their advantage. The modern business world is all just one big game and it's best to learn how to play it.

^^^

This. It doesn't matter how good a mechanic you are if people don't know about you.

 

[spidey07]

And don't forget about real, true professional networking. That's where the who you know can really pay huge dividends. A great mentor of mine once told me to treat your network as a garden that you must tend to and feed from time to time. Things like letting them know of openings you heard about, take them out to lunch or drinks from time to time.

 

[hanoverphist]

This. I was once naive and thought your skills were what mattered. My mom told me growing up it was who you knew and that it was important to socialize at work events. I ignored the advice because I thought she was wrong, but she was 100% correct.

BTW, our corporate picnic is tomorrow and I'm not going. :awe:

For me it was who you know to get in the door and what I know to get promoted up to my current spot.

both of these.

i busted my ass when i was a screen printer, i wanted to move up and be management someday. i was passed over many times for promotions, but i always got raises. when i voiced my concerns about it, i was told i was too important to the production bottom line to take higher in the management chain. in other words, the people i trained couldnt keep up with me, and my numbers were too good. thats when i decided to go to college and get an education. they fired me 3 months after i started school, and bugged me for a year after to help train my replacement again. he was an idiot.

my current field is pretty specialized, once you get trained you pretty much know what your competitors all know as well. after that its personal style, attention to detail and low bidding that gets you the work. who you know is important, it gets you the work.

 

[spidey07]

hanovphist, that brings up another really important point. Always make sure somebody else can do your job so that you can be promoted. It sounds counter intuitive as people mistakenly think that being irreplaceable is good, but it's the truth. And as far as thinking one is irreplaceable - EVERYBODY can be replaced.

 

[Slew Foot]

As long as youre moderately competent, its always who you know.

 

[Homerboy]

Its who you know... plain and simple. You can't get your foot in the door (or even know the door exists for that matter) otherwise.

Also, good luck Joemonkey. You know I'm rootin' for ya.