Knowledge is Lube

There is a common allusion to the importance of social networking in technology professions. The question weighs the importance of who you know with that of what you know--monetary compensation is not inherent to knowledge--one must find employment to capitalize upon it. Conversely, connections with generous employers can more than make up for one's deficiencies in knowledge. While many employers will make great effort to seek "talent," in practice the challenge is in the discoverability of said "talent." How does a candidate successfully convince a prospective employer that they are knowledgeable? A recommendation or work reference does much of the heavy-lifting here, someone credible to the employer vouching for your qualities--notice that even efforts to discovering knowledgeable candidates short-circuit instead to the networking of that candidate. Ultimately, social networking is more important in modern U.S. society, since one can find opportunity with little besides. Knowledge only accommodates social efforts, but knowledge is neither necessary nor sufficient on its own. What you know is only the lubricant for who you know.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 15, 2020 at 5:45 PM

    I think you hit the nail of the head with this. The reason that we so often rely on people that come recommended by people we know is that it is so hard to know how someone is going to perform without knowing them. If they come recommended by someone you know then it is easier to trust them. Great insight!

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