knowing other people

knowing other people matters more than the work you have done.

someone spending a few days in a corporate environment will reach that conclusion rather quickly. it doesn’t take much time to notice someone missing deadlines, spending time on their phone all day, and not having clear skills except being a smooth talker.

it’s easy to grow resentment towards that, especially if, like me, you have been taught all your life that hard work is what will matter more. seeing very smart, hard working people fail while the mediocre nepotistic hires find success feels unfair and like something that should be fixed.

and while it should be, as someone who prides themselves in their work, i also have to admit that i have been able to take advantage of this : some of my biggest opportunities came from knowing someone that could help me. does it mean i did nothing to deserve this ? no, quite the opposite, i was able to talk to people, and provide quality work while being friendly, communicative, and easy to work with.

the truth is that a hard working person without anyone to vouch for them is a dime a dozen. your perfect résumé with all the right schools and companies may look great, but how would i know you aren’t a schizophrenic lunatic that will never be able to communicate what they are doing ? or someone, like the one replying to my first post on the subject, that instantly assumes i am a woman and therefore inferior ? should i hope that you aren’t, or should i just hire the guy that a trustworthy person told me is good ?

displaying these abilities can sometimes be rarer than raw technical know-how, and will mean people will support you despite some knowledge gaps or lack of classical education.

learn to use that to your advantage.