Exactly. The article implies that bargaining position is the deciding factor here. Bargaining position is ENTIRELY defined by economics. How many options does

Exactly. The article implies that bargaining position is the deciding factor here. Bargaining position is ENTIRELY defined by economics. How many options does the company have to fill the role you are applying for? How many jobs do you have the ability to fill? What is the compensation level for those jobs? In a pool of workers, on a sheer measurable and presentable skill set...do you stand out? Networking, creates a connection that helps you stand out so when a company is taking job applicants they have a supply of people who stand out and a supply of "general workforce". Standing out can just mean an existing relationship, a recommendation from a trusted person, or some other type of quality that makes you a preferred candidate. There is a more limited supply of "preferred" candidates and those folks will be more aggressively sought after (and compensated). We'd like for it to be all about skill, but businesses are run by people and many people place a high value on trust. When it comes to the more general pool of candidates, that pool is a whole lot bigger and if you haven't worked your way into the preferred group for the company then you do have very little bargaining power...meaning there is an ample supply of people who can fill the role. This article, despite the title...doesn't actually do anything to change the reality any more than publishing an article titled "2 + 2 is not actually 4" disproves it. The content has to prove the headline...and it doesn't.