Yes, this is an old concept called "networking". Unfortunately not everyone's very good at it, and unfortunately not being good at networking doesn't mean you

Yes, this is an old concept called "networking". Unfortunately not everyone's very good at it, and unfortunately not being good at networking doesn't mean you wouldn't be good at the job in question. But that's life... social connections are indeed an important factor in all walks of life, and not something you learn in any classroom. It's a hard lesson for some of us.