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For: Leah Lei Lok-ching, 16, Cognitio College (Kowloon)
From childhood to adulthood, we often hear the phrase, “Knowing people is better than knowing words.”
Dale Carnegie, author of the world-famous self-help book How to Win Friends and Influence People, was quoted as saying, “About 15 per cent of one’s financial success is due to one’s technical knowledge and about 85 per cent is due to skill in human engineering – to personality and the ability to lead people.”
This reflects the importance of networking – expanding one’s circle of connections.
For students who have not graduated yet, knowing more people might help them land a job sooner; for those already in the workforce, having a wide circle means more opportunities to switch jobs or advance.
The purpose of using your personal network is to connect with the world. Whether it is someone you have only met once or a best friend you know inside out, they can all become part of your network, opening doors to new possibilities.
Building a diverse, international network may take a great deal of time and energy. Still, by learning more about different cultures and expanding your global connections, you will find that the network you have built will make you almost unstoppable in the workplace.
In today’s job market, qualifications alone rarely guarantee success. A 2016 survey by Lou Adler, the CEO of a consulting and training firm, found that 85 per cent of jobs are filled through connections.
Students often send out dozens of applications without hearing back, because their CVs are just one of thousands in the pile.
Using your network gives you a way to cut through that noise. A friend’s introduction to a hiring manager or a mentor’s recommendation can place your application directly on the right desk instead of at the bottom of a digital stack.
Some argue that relying on connections is “unfair,” but building and using a network is a skill like any other.
Networking is not about bypassing merit; it’s about ensuring your merit is seen. In a world where opportunities are limited and competition is fierce, not using every tool at your disposal is like refusing to use a ladder because others have to climb too.
Against: Alissa Mak, 14, Victoria Shanghai Academy
Connections should not be abused or manipulated into a mechanism that guarantees success, especially when such opportunities are not rewarded to everyone in society.
Firstly, the use of connections destroys society’s meritocratic system, undermining the cornerstone of our community’s values of equality.
Most people come from low- or middle-income families, with little to no titles or recognition. They can only rise up the social ladder through hard work because they lack the opportunity to cut corners.
This proposed act of leniency would essentially create a pay-to-win system, granting an unfair head start in life. Jobs would become a reflection of how wealthy a background you originate from, rather than the blood, sweat and tears that were poured into such development.
The wealth gap would widen as the poor are pushed further into a perpetuating cycle of poverty, and the wealthy would add to their already large piles of money.
Furthermore, this proposition diminishes the value of individual work ethics.
When students are spoon-fed their achievements, there are two outcomes. People may never develop qualities such as discipline or hard work. Additionally, due to a general decline in work ethic, the quality of work will worsen, affecting company efficiency and development.
Many companies now consist of workers who are less competent than they could have been, solely because they were born into the right family.
Students taking advantage of connections for real-world assistance are stealing opportunities from more capable students who have worked just as hard, if not more. It is unfair to the majority of the population and to companies that must suffer because of the victory of the already fortunate.
Therefore, we should maintain society’s meritocratic system.
