It's not what you know
When I was young I bought into the lie: Do well in school and you will do well in life. Through elementary, middle and high school I worked very hard and my grades showed it. Of course when you do very well in high school you are expected to go to University. I went to Pharmacy school and again got deans list every year that I was there. I passed my licensing exams with ease, passed my coursework with ease and got into a profession which I've been in for over thirty years.
Now when I graduated from University I remember going for a drive with my father. I was expecting a congratulations and a good job son. What I actually got was a short piece of advice. His words to me were "I'm proud of you for making it through University but remember it's not what you know but who you know". I was a little disappointed. I worked so hard and studied so diligently to be told "Education isn't important".
Right now I'm a lot older and even older than he was when he told me that advice. Honestly, he wasn't exactly wrong but he didn't give me the whole story. Education IS important. Connections ARE important. Then again, honesty, diligence, competence and reliability are important too.
If I was to make an analogy? If you are looking for someone to date...are looks important? Absolutely! Then again, I went on a date with a gorgeous woman...who was the worst person I ever met. Personality is crucial when looking at a potential date/girlfriend/boyfriend. Then again if they are good looking, excellent personality but... lack personal hygiene, lack discretion, lack integrity? Again, that would be a dealbreaker for most.
The importance of schooling
When I was in university I thought that if I learned all the drugs, learned all the interactions, learned all the mechanism of action and how all the medications would work I would do fine in Pharmacy. Sure I knew that I would need to know how to deal with patients and help meet their needs but I was led to believe that if I knew all the answers it would be easy. Wow, was I horribly wrong. I could be truly brilliant and people wouldn't believe me when I tell them something is a bad idea. Recently I had a patient that was on a large dose of Ibuprofen. Good anti-inflammatory pain killer. They were insistent that it wasn't enough and they wanted Arthrotec. Another good anti-inflammatory pain killer. The problem is they are based on the same molecule (Propionic acid) and work in the same way with the same potential toxicity. I knew that the combination would cause serious issues to her kidneys, stomach and possibly ear drum. Getting her to believe that? Impossible. I had the education from school and it was all worthless in that moment.
Except it wasn't. I knew to stand my ground and not let the patient poison themself. Any other pharmacist from my class from the top ranked to the barely passed would know that combination was inappropriate. That shows that education is important: It sets the baseline for functionality. High school typically means that people can read, write, and do mathematics which are incredibly important in today's society. I mean imagine trying to function on Hive if you couldn't read or write? However in my profession I have never been asked to use even half of what I learned, no one has ever cared if i was top 10% of my class or bottom 10%. Education is an important baseline but not the end factor of how useful I'm going to be.
Going back to my dating analogy. A person has to be attractive enough to date and start a spark but after that? It doesn't matter if they are an "8" or a "10" as its the other factors that make all the difference.
Connections
Changing gears a little bit I've been in contact with many people on Hive. Some from Pakistan, some from Nigeria and others from all sorts of places around the world. One time i was thinking how interesting it would be to visit Nigeria as it is worlds away from anything I am familiar with. The people I was talking to said they would welcome me and gather around me to keep me safe. But I am a well educated individual, I'm quite functional on my own and have financial resources to take care of myself. Why would I need locals to help me navigate?
I think its pretty obvious. I would be totally clueless in Nigeria. I wouldn't know the right people to contact in case of emergency. I wouldn't know the right people to buy from in the markets. I wouldn't know the warning signs of danger or other common sense things to the average local. Sure I could read books and guides but in the end? The locals have connections to get things done but they also know people you won't want to connect with.
Sure I'm educated and functional but I would have absolutely zero connections if I went to Nigeria. Then again, maybe I would, and those people would make ALL the difference on a potential trip there.
Or I could look closer to home. I have had a property in a place called Rosswood for almost 20 years now. I spent considerable time and effort trying to get the property developed. Road work. Surveys. Land clearing. Water drilling. Electrical wiring and much much more needed to be done to make the property usable. For the first 10 years almost nothing got done. No connections so I was unable to figure out how to pay to get work finished. Once I met a well respected local guy who knows many people in the community? Things just happened so much faster. I needed land surveyed, call Ernie. I needed electrical done? Call Pheonix electric. I needed internet so he called a guy at Sienna. Needed water? Call Ben. Needed help identifying local edible plants? Call Marilyn. Sure I know about finding property markers. I know about electrical wiring. I know about water drilling. I know about construction. But I have book knowledge and not useful skills. I also don't have the tools.
Things happened not because of what I knew but who I had contacts with.
What I've learned?
Contacts matter as much as education.
Education makes me employable. Contacts help me find a job.
Education lets me know I need my water tested. Contacts help me get the water testing done.
Education lets me know what type of home I want built. Contacts help me get it done.
I wish I knew this when I was in school. I should have spent more time making contacts within the industry. I should have spent more time focusing on making friends with fellow students. I should have spent more time volunteering and making connections in the community but instead I focused on getting the best grades I could. Oops.
Also, as a long term Christian my faith has taught me the lesson very clearly. If you treat it as a religion its dry, dull and dead. If you treat it as a relationship with God that's when it shines. Of course not everyone shares this idea and I absolutely respect those viewpoints. However, for me I've found that proves as a rock to build my life on.
My dad was right all those years ago. It's not what you know its who you know. What you know gives you a basis for navigating the world but who you know make the journey much easier and more worthwhile.
Thanks for reading and making it this far. As always I love comments and replies.