Dan Richards is a serial founder and former public company CEO, and an award-winning member of the marketing faculty at the Rotman School of Management, where he oversees the credit course associated with MBA student internships.
For decades, career advice has swung between two competing narratives. One camp argues that success depends on who you know. The other counters that what you know is what really counts.
In today’s tight labour market, that debate misses the point. The real driver of opportunity now lies where relationships and expertise intersect - essentially, being known for something among the right audience.
I see this shift clearly in my work teaching MBA students.
Two different networking outcomes
Last year, one student attended every networking event available. He booked lots of coffees with contacts and followed up diligently, doing everything career guides recommend.
Yet the opportunities he hoped for never materialized. Afterward, I spoke with a recruiter who offered a blunt explanation: “I remember meeting him twice - but I couldn’t tell you what he actually did well.”
Another student took a different approach. She went to fewer events and spoke less, but became known for her ability to make sense of messy data. In the process, she earned a reputation for collaboration so classmates sought her out for group projects. Eventually, one of her professors recommended her to a Rotman alum who hired her - not simply because they were introduced, but because her reputation had travelled ahead of her.
Those two stories capture the tension many people feel but struggle to articulate. Often, traditional networking no longer offers a path to success yet relying on merit alone doesn’t seem to work either.
The trap with traditional networking
This unease is well founded. In a widely cited 2017 New York Times column, Wharton professor Adam Grant argued that networking without substance can backfire, undermining the very image job seekers hope to project. When connections are pursued without a clear value proposition - without something tangible to contribute - networking feels hollow and opportunistic rather than compelling.
Most of us recognize this instinctively. Many of us have sat through strained conversations that lacked substance, counting the minutes until we could politely disengage.
But the opposite belief - that excellence alone will inevitably be discovered - is just as flawed. Ability that’s invisible won’t land a job or earn a promotion. In a crowded labour market, being good at what you do is often just the starting point. In most cases, progress requires internal advocates - people willing to speak on your behalf and put their credibility on the line.
A Rotman graduate at a major bank put it plainly when she described the many students who reach out to her. “I try to be helpful and make time to meet with as many students as I can,” she said. “But to maintain my credibility internally, I can’t refer everyone. I have to pick my spots and only recommend students who stand out and have a compelling case.”
This reflects how the role of networks has evolved. Thirty years ago, before the internet as we know it today, access alone could open doors. Information was scarce, industries were closed and insiders controlled opportunity. Today, information is abundant and credentials are widespread. Access is easier to request, but much harder to obtain. Opportunity no longer flows from proximity alone; rather it flows from relevance.
Paths to relevance
In a tough job market, students who land roles tell unique stories of the value they can bring.
One MBA student interviewed founders of successful disruptors as part of Rotman’s Fintech Founders podcast series. That experience gave him a distinctive story to tell and a perspective few others could offer - helping him land a highly competitive role in wealth management.
Another student enrolled in a course partnering with companies to apply artificial intelligence tools to real-world problems. The solution she helped build became the centrepiece of her narrative, adding a strong “what you know” dimension to the relationships she’d developed. She went on to secure an offer from a leading consulting firm.
Standing out on the job
The same dynamic plays out after graduation.
A partner at a consulting firm once described the evolution of her career. Early on, she was invited into meetings to take notes but also to observe and learn. Later, she attended because she could contribute to the conversation. Eventually, she was invited because she had developed differentiated expertise and a reputation - both inside and outside the firm - in a rapidly growing field.
“I did three things to make partner early,” she told me. “First, I got advice from senior people on where demand was growing and clients would pay a premium. Second, I invested heavily in building deep expertise in one of those areas. Finally, I built external credibility by writing, speaking at industry conferences and eventually being quoted in the media as an expert in this field.”
At every stage, relationships mattered - but only because they were anchored in demonstrated capability.
What do you want to be known for?
This balance between expertise and relationships is especially important for students and early-career professionals. Networking without substance is inauthentic. Substance without visibility won’t advance your case.
That’s why the most useful question today isn’t about counting LinkedIn connections. Rather it’s what do I want to be known for and by whom?
Answering those questions reframes career building. Networking becomes less about collecting contacts and more about building reputation over time. Thought about that way, relationships become channels through which expertise travels and compounds.
Companies reinforce this shift. Today, hiring increasingly relies on internal referrals, but not casual ones. Rather than a social favour, an introduction today is a professional endorsement.
This also explains why weak networking can be actively harmful. When someone becomes known primarily for self-promotion rather than substance, their network doesn’t amplify opportunity - it blocks it.
That’s why the people whose careers advance fastest aren’t those with the largest contact lists or the most impressive resumes. Rather they’re the ones who build strong relationships and whose names surface naturally in relevant contexts: She’s really excellent at this. He’s the person you want on that kind of problem.
It’s time to retire the old debate. The real opportunity belongs to people who build something worth knowing and have built networks where that value can be recognized. Ultimately, in a world crowded with credentials and connections, being known for something real is the most reliable career strategy of all.
This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.