What you know, Who you know, or Who know's you?
We have all heard, "It's not what you know it's who you know". Why do people believe that and then share that perspective with others? Well, I'm glad you asked, the reason why some say it is because of their experiences. They have applied for jobs or looked into opportunities only to find out that the person that was brought into that space was brought there not because their resume was the best. They were not put in that space because they had the most experience. They weren't the most knowledgable. They weren't even put in that space because they went to the "best schools". Some have figured out the only reason why that person was put there was because of who they knew. The relationship between the 2 parties was so strong that one person benefited from it.
So does the resume matter? Does going to college, getting a master's joining social groups, matter? Do you need to be the most articulate? Do you need to be the most published? Do you need to be the best profile on LinkedIn or other social platforms? The short answer to all of these questions is simply, no. Who you know matters and even more importantly what they are willing to say about you matters. The reason why people say that is because lots of things that we do is not because we deserve to, nor because we earned the right to, not because we were the most qualified to, but because someone recommended us or vouched for us. You happen to play basketball together. You are apart of the same running club. You sing in a choir or are part of some kind of organization. Having a relationship, matters. Don't be known as the person that is always serious (can be perceived as a task master, and not someone who can work with/build a team). And contrarily, don't be the person who is always laughing and smiling (people won't take you seriously, perceived as a soft push-over).
Focus on building relationships where you can speak and people listen. Where you impact people in ways, where they will advocate for you even when you aren't there. Take a had look at you, what you say and how you show up in a room. If you show up and no one notices you, consider being more engaging. If you come into a room and every cheers, consider being a bit more serious and a bit less fun. The way that you connect and communicate with people matters. You want to be genuine and true to yourself and not fake. You want to connect with people who will not only speak for you but their words, suggestions and recommendations are respected by others. Remember its not what you know, nor what you know but who knows you and what are they willing to say about you. Strong, and deep relationships matter.