Even in "serious" professions, it still matters who you know. Here's an anecdote: a good friend of mine studied and finished medicine in a foreign country (in

Even in "serious" professions, it still matters who you know. Here's an anecdote: a good friend of mine studied and finished medicine in a foreign country (in English). He passed all the American exams, yet no school would take him. The path to becoming an American doctor is quite different and more difficult than if you were to study domestically. However, he met a doctor from the same country who practices medicine in America. The doctor was able to secure a volunteering position for my friend, and because of that volunteering experience, he is now finishing his residency program in the top 90% of his class. Long story short: having connections is not about creating shortcuts; it's about creating opportunities that would otherwise be impossible to obtain.