It’s not about what you know… Well, yes it is.
We’ve heard this phrase being tossed around a million times in our professional lives, and it goes something like this:
“ It’s not about what you know; it’s about who you know. ”
As a mentor to college students and recent graduates, I can attest to the fact that many of these budding, career-hungry individuals are taking this quote a little too seriously. Aside from the fact that networking and connections are, in a sense, more important than “what you know,” why not do both?
Show me the money.
“Is it really true that it’s just about who I know and make connections with?”
Short answer: no.
Long answer: hell no.
Humor me this: If I was best friends with Bill Gates (I wish), and I didn’t have any skill sets, experiences or knowledge that would somehow benefit him or his company in any way, do you think he’d ever consider me for any kind of position?
To a less exaggerated context, let’s say Howard is attending a professional meetup regarding a field he is interested in. He spots someone who looks to be of importance; maybe an executive or one of the managers of a specific department. Here’s his chance. He’ll walk up to them and plant the seed of hope in their mind, that he should be the next employee at their company. Howard walks up and says, “Excuse me,” and proceeds to allow the words to speak for themselves. But mouth agape, he realizes there’s not much to say, because he doesn’t have anything to pitch with (other than the fact that he’s graduating with a degree in so-and-so from so-and-so university). If he has no experience, let alone little to no relevant knowledge outside of his standard education, what is the incentive for this potential connection/employer to see him as a potential employee? In other words, how can he show his value to this person?
This value can be in the form of, ideally, work/internship experiences, but can also be in the form of education/side projects in general. Students and graduates these days are so caught up in the “who,” and idolize this one part of this overrated phrase that there is little to no emphasis on building up the “what” in “what you know.” There doesn’t need to be this dichotomy between these two ideals. In fact, no one is stopping you from building connections AND building your knowledge beyond what is expected of you.
Above and beyond.
There’s no doubt about it; connections are very important. And in this ever-growing society of working adults, it’s hard to differentiate yourself based on your educational background alone. I get it. But to able to stand out, is to be able to realize that there is a lot of opportunity to learn and grow your knowledge and worth outside of your standard education. This lies in utilizing the amazing resource that we take for granted everyday: the internet; to increase the gap between you and your colleagues that are racing to get to that one spot.
Connections may indeed seal the deal, but you need substance to be able to make your pitch and your overall value memorable. And that value lies in the “what.”
Take yourself to the next level and consider these actionable tips to grow your value over time:
1. Side projects
For example, if you are in the programming/CompSci field, this can be in the form of personal projects that touch on the coding languages you are learning and something that interests you; say, utilizing Python to create a video game or even creating a useful tool that automates something that would save you time.
The general rule of thumb is that if you can have a portfolio in your field, you should work on projects that will aid in building up that portfolio in some way, shape or form. Quality over quantity.
2. Online courses (They can be free!)
Sure, sites like Udemy have fairly cheap resources that are, granted, amazing; but there are also an abundance of high quality resources all over the internet that are free — though with most things that are free, you have to do a bit more sifting through the noise. One such resource is our beloved Youtube. I tell my students all the time: you cannot complain to me about not having enough information on a given subject until you’ve watched every Youtube video on that subject. And even then, Youtube is a grain of sand compared to the vast internet and the other forms of resources available with a click of a button.
3. Certifications related to your field
Do yourself a favor and do some research on relevant certifications that might give you an edge in your desired field. Not only is this something that you can mention during networking situations, but it can also be utilized as a strong resume booster. Woo! If you are in the Data field like myself, this could be in the form of obtaining an AWS certification in a specialty field such as Big Data; or even in the form of Google Analytics certifications to help boost your knowledge and become more well-rounded in this specific skill. I want to emphasize that you need to do your research and choose relevant certifications. This will save you time and money from completing certifications with no real value to them, which in turn, will not supplement your value at all.
Focus. On. Both.
Those entering the workforce need to understand that the phrase mentioned in the beginning of this article can be true (to an extent), and that it can be detrimental. It’s a double-edged sword. You need to socialize, you need to network. However, you also need to focus on consistently building your knowledge and value in the industry. You need something to bring to the table; and are you really comfortable with bringing the bare minimum to these conversations? (The answer should be no).
If I were to rephrase this now famous quote, it would be something along the lines of:
“ It’s about what you know, and who you know. ”
Creative, huh?
There is significance in the ordering of this new phrase. The “what” comes first because you need to have a foundation of your value: a combination of your coursework, relevant knowledge, experiences, certifications, etc. The more you build and hone in on your value through being proactive and evolving with the trends, the more you can bring to conversations when you are finally in that crucial position of networking and building connections with others.
Bonus tip: Curate a concise elevator pitch, and ALWAYS keep it updated according to new and relevant skills/certifications you obtain. You can never be too prepared when it comes to giving elevator pitches and having a go-to script so you know exactly what you want to cover can help prepare you for even the most unexpected networking opportunities that arise when you’re out and about. How unfortunate it would be to unexpectedly meet Bill Gates and not have an elevator pitch ready…
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As always, thank you for your time in reading my articles. If anything resonated with you, feel free to check out some of my other articles related to this topic through my profile. Have a wonderful day.
