Lets be honest, who you know can get you a very long way in life, but it won’t get you all the way. I know this sounds like another one of my ramblings but trust me, there is a method to this madness I call “Success Techniques”.
Let me begin by saying that I know a lot of people, people from every stretch of life. I know bartenders and bar owners, I know bankers and bank managers, I know doctors and nurses and I know company CEOs and company secretaries. But the big thing I know, other than knowing so many people, is that connections with them are only helpful to a certain degree.
Let’s take for example getting your kid into college. Say that you personally know the Assistant Director of Admissions (the one who selects who gets into the university or not). Now this connection can prove to be very helpful, but if your child is a dumb-butt and just doesn’t have the criteria to get in, no matter how much the Admissions Counselor tries, you kid isn’t going to get admitted. In this case, knowing that person in the position of power didn’t help that much because although you knew “the who” (Admissions Counselor), “the what” (your credentials) weren’t enough to get you into the university.
Lets say you know someone who owns a company. This company has a position open and you are more than qualified for it, you apply and get it. The mere fact that you know the owners probably helped you 1% but in truth it was your qualifications that got you the position. In the game of business, acquaintances mean a lot less than qualifications because if you are going to work for them, then it will cost money (to pay you, duh) and if you are not capable of doing the tasks as assigned for your position, then not only are you wasting the company’s money but its time too. This is often if not always, equally as valuable.
So yes, while knowing someone on the inside can get you “inside”, that doesn’t mean you automatically get to stay there. And yes, I am fully aware that people often say, “Its not what you know, but who you know”, and be that as it may, knowing people will often only get your foot in the door, it is your capabilities, credentials and other abilities that really push you through that door.
So remember, connections will only get you so far, it is your abilities that will get you all the way.