In 1973, Mark Granovetter, a Harvard sociologist, published a study that gave the world its first insight into how people get jobs.  Most new opportunities, according to Granovetter, are found through your personal network (and not through the newspaper).  At the time, this was groundbreaking stuff!  Like no other generation before, people became aware of the tangible benefit of a strong network.  As value began to be placed on personal connections, a paradigm shift began to occur in how we approach relationships.  Catch phrases were even created to carry the message

“It’s all about who you know.”

“Who you know is more important than what you know.”

“It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.”

It’s been nearly 4 decades since Granovetter’s landmark study.  And in the past 36 years, armies of geeks have poured over mounds of data – only to arrive at the same conclusion:

“Who you know” is elemental to career success.

The proof is in the research: Those that have the “who you know” mentality will go far in life.  Those that don’t will come face-to-face with cosmic career doom.

So…who do you know?

Note: If you aren’t already in front of the shakers and makers that can grant you access to your dream job, it’s time to start doing some intelligent networking.