Anyone who has watched a well-connected but mediocre candidate win a promotion may be tempted to agree that careers depend more on who you know than on what you can do. Personal connections undoubtedly matter, and in some sectors and societies they matter enormously. Nevertheless, I believe the statement overstates their importance. Connections are most powerful at the point of entry, while talent becomes increasingly decisive over the course of a career — although the two are more closely linked than the statement suggests.

There is no denying the influence of connections, particularly at the beginning of a career. Many positions are filled through referrals before they are ever advertised, and a recommendation from a trusted contact can lift one application above hundreds of similar ones. In countries where formal hiring systems are weak, family and political networks may determine who receives government jobs or business licences. For graduates without such networks, this can make the job market feel deeply unfair.

Over time, however, connections tend to lose their power if they are not supported by ability. A manager who repeatedly fails to deliver results will eventually lose the confidence of the very people who recommended them, because those contacts stake their own reputations on their recommendations. In competitive fields such as research, software development or professional sport, performance is relatively visible and measurable, and talent ultimately determines who rises to the top. The careers of many entrepreneurs from modest backgrounds also show that exceptional ability can overcome the absence of initial connections.

More importantly, the statement treats talent and connections as entirely separate, when in practice they reinforce one another. Talented people tend to attract useful contacts: a skilled young engineer who solves a difficult problem becomes known to senior colleagues, who later recommend them for new opportunities. Networks are therefore partly a product of demonstrated ability, not simply an inheritance. At the same time, the ability to build relationships — to communicate, cooperate and earn trust — is itself a kind of talent.

The relative weight of the two also depends on institutions. Where hiring and promotion are transparent and merit-based, talent counts for more; where they are opaque, connections dominate. This suggests that the statement describes a condition that societies can change, through open recruitment, fair examinations and protection against nepotism.

In conclusion, personal connections often open the first door, but talent determines how far a person goes through it. The more fairly institutions are designed, the more true this becomes.

I disagree that connections are more important than talent, although I accept that connections can help people a lot, especially at the start of their careers.

Connections are useful because many jobs are found through friends, family or former teachers. A recommendation from someone the employer trusts can help a person get an interview more easily than other candidates.

However, after a person gets a job, they must show good results. If they do not have the skills, they will not be promoted, and people will stop recommending them. In many fields, like medicine or engineering, a person's ability is very important and easy to see.

Also, talented people often make useful connections because others notice their good work.

In conclusion, connections can open doors, but talent is more important for long-term career success. Therefore, young people should focus on improving their skills while also building good relationships with teachers, classmates and colleagues, because both will help them succeed. Both matter.

I agree that connections are more important than talent.

In my country many people get jobs because their uncle or father know the boss. Talented people without connection cannot get good job.

Even if you are very clever nobody will see you without connection.

So connection is the most important for career. Talent is only useful if somebody helps you first.