Source: valentinrussanov / Getty
Some individuals are just lucky to be born into connections—into a network of people who can swiftly move their career along, without many of the hurdles that those of us without connections face. One could argue that making connections is the hardest part of a career. Becoming educated and developing a skillset and then putting years of experience behind you using those two things—that’s something anyone has access to. That’s formulaic. It isn’t complicated or sensitive. Whatever you want to do, you can probably go get good at it. Take a class. Read a book on it. Practice, practice, practice. It’s making connections that is the difficult part. There is no rhyme or reason to it—no rulebook. Those connections become the next critical part to success, after you develop your skills, and those who are born into them just have that part handled for them. I’m in a unique position to be friends with someone like that. She is, no doubt, good at what she does, but she’s getting opportunities people usually wait decades longer than she has to get. I’m also friends with her peers and I see the way they treat her. Here’s how your peers behave when everything is handed to you.
They’ll flatter you to your face
When you see them, they’re all smiles and hugs. They talk to you. They pay you compliments. The reality of the matter is that if you are well-connected, your peers don’t feel they can afford to not have a good relationship with you.
