View Poll Results: What gets people ahead in a career the most?

Voters
29. This poll is closed
  • Social Skill

    21 72.41%
  • Work Skill

    8 27.59%
Page 1 of 2
1
2
LastLast
  1. #1
    Stood in the Fire Agent Smith's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Heart O' The City
    Posts
    456

    Good work skills vs. Social skills ... What do you think gets people head?

    Recently had a debate with a friend about what got people ahead more at the workplace.

    Both of us have held various jobs through school. Personally I've worked at a pizza shop, Home Depot, Best Buy, for the county and 2 financial firms. I've been paid hourly and I am now on salary.

    Throughout all my years of working both in the public and private sectors, the people who usually get the praise and the promotion/raise are the social butterflies who beat their chests every time they do something marginally decent. While the people with really good work ethic who are quiet and timid, are looked over.

    I have personally gotten ahead more by chatting it up at the water cooler than i have beating my head against a problem that nobody else seemed to fix. In fact, I negotiated a promotion over a beer at a local brewery.

    I say my social ability will beat anyone's actual work skill any day... My buddy says, hard work pays off and people appreciate that the most.

    What do you think?

  2. #2
    Usually I can get head if I ask nicely and shes in the mood. So a little bit of work ethic and social skills.
    illuminati all over my body

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Sanstos View Post
    Recently had a debate with a friend about what got people ahead more at the workplace.

    Both of us have held various jobs through school. Personally I've worked at a pizza shop, Home Depot, Best Buy, for the county and 2 financial firms. I've been paid hourly and I am now on salary.

    Throughout all my years of working both in the public and private sectors, the people who usually get the praise and the promotion/raise are the social butterflies who beat their chests every time they do something marginally decent. While the people with really good work ethic who are quiet and timid, are looked over.

    I have personally gotten ahead more by chatting it up at the water cooler than i have beating my head against a problem that nobody else seemed to fix. In fact, I negotiated a promotion over a beer at a local brewery.

    I say my social ability will beat anyone's actual work skill any day... My buddy says, hard work pays off and people appreciate that the most.

    What do you think?
    They both help, but social networking has a much larger potential if you can connect with the right people.

    If you know fairly little but have great networking you can land a good position and simply delegate most of the work.

  4. #4
    Herald of the Titans
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Dual US/Canada
    Posts
    2,595
    I think that if you're trying to get head (as per the thread title), a few twenties in the alley behind your local dive bar is the quickest way.

    As for your actual question, it depends a lot on the workplace and the role within it. If you're doing a job where people actually need you to perform at a high level or shit goes south, you're not going to get by on social skills alone. If you're doing a job where the difference between a hard worker and an average worker requires a deep dive into metrics to even notice, then social skills will stand out far more.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Sanstos View Post
    Recently had a debate with a friend about what got people ahead more at the workplace.

    Both of us have held various jobs through school. Personally I've worked at a pizza shop, Home Depot, Best Buy, for the county and 2 financial firms. I've been paid hourly and I am now on salary.

    Throughout all my years of working both in the public and private sectors, the people who usually get the praise and the promotion/raise are the social butterflies who beat their chests every time they do something marginally decent. While the people with really good work ethic who are quiet and timid, are looked over.

    I have personally gotten ahead more by chatting it up at the water cooler than i have beating my head against a problem that nobody else seemed to fix. In fact, I negotiated a promotion over a beer at a local brewery.

    I say my social ability will beat anyone's actual work skill any day... My buddy says, hard work pays off and people appreciate that the most.

    What do you think?
    How much depends on the job and expectations, but you are correct. As long as you are slightly above average in technical ability, being outgoing and friendly will give you more opportunity than the inverse. There are a ton of books/research on the topic, there is not much a of a debate at this point.

  6. #6
    Skill. Without that, you will fail. No way around it. You can be a perfectly social butterfly, but it wont help if you don't have the skill to back it up. The reverse doesn't hold true though. If you're polite and friendly, the skill can carry you far and well into your career.


    There are some who would say you just have to know the right person. That helps, but again, if you don't have the skill, you wont get anywhere because you're useless in that regard.
    Quote Originally Posted by scorpious1109 View Post
    Why the hell would you wait till after you did this to confirm the mortality rate of such action?

  7. #7
    Social skills will get you ahead. They teach you that everywhere this days, not even debatable at this point.

  8. #8
    I have both so I am good, there should be an option for both.
    Lead Game Designer

    YouTube Channel

    https://www.youtube.com/@Nateanderthal

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Zantos View Post
    Skill. Without that, you will fail. No way around it. You can be a perfectly social butterfly, but it wont help if you don't have the skill to back it up. The reverse doesn't hold true though. If you're polite and friendly, the skill can carry you far and well into your career.


    There are some who would say you just have to know the right person. That helps, but again, if you don't have the skill, you wont get anywhere because you're useless in that regard.
    That really depends. It helps to have at least the basic skills you need to carry out your function, but even then if you're on good terms with the decision makers ar your workplace then you're more likely to be handed opportunities and assistance, as well as for your shortcomings to be overlooked. A lot of people say for example that they 'don't like sales', but on a deep an fundamental level everything is sales no natter what your job is.

  10. #10
    Void Lord Doctor Amadeus's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    In Security Watching...
    Posts
    43,696
    Nope social skills fail all the time especially when shit needs to be done and the social people need someone who can do the work. You can bullshit people for long but unless or until those that actually do the work actually do it then nobody cares about social skill.
    Milli Vanilli, Bigger than Elvis

  11. #11
    Warchief Zoibert the Bear's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Basque Country, Spain
    Posts
    2,080
    Depends if your job is low skill like in the case presented above would seem to be or requires actual knowledge and skill to perform.

    Fake it 'till you make it works unless you can never make it.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Doctor Amadeus View Post
    Nope social skills fail all the time especially when shit needs to be done and the social people need someone who can do the work. You can bullshit people for long but unless or until those that actually do the work actually do it then nobody cares about social skill.
    That's why you aim for a management position where most of the work is delegated.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Elkfingers View Post
    That really depends. It helps to have at least the basic skills you need to carry out your function, but even then if you're on good terms with the decision makers ar your workplace then you're more likely to be handed opportunities and assistance, as well as for your shortcomings to be overlooked. A lot of people say for example that they 'don't like sales', but on a deep an fundamental level everything is sales no natter what your job is.
    That would also depend on 1) if they have the time to train and 2) if your skilled enough to be trained. I have seen my fair share of "wtf are they doing in that role?" scenarios where they simply didn't last. They got it because they knew someone or had connections. Ultimately, it comes down to if you can get the skills or not. If you're dumb as a sack of bricks and simply cannot grasp how to do the job, social skills wont safe you from being canned or demoted to a job you can do.

    I can agree, being social will help to get more opportunities. Simply because they know you and your name vs the other 100 or so people. But, as I said, without the skill nor ability to get the skill, it simply wont ever be enough.
    Quote Originally Posted by scorpious1109 View Post
    Why the hell would you wait till after you did this to confirm the mortality rate of such action?

  14. #14
    Stealthed Defender unbound's Avatar
    7+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    All that moves is easily heard in the void.
    Posts
    6,798
    Both are actually rather important.

    Yes, sometimes you'll find the socially inept person that goes far, and sometimes you'll find the incompetent social butterfly that goes far...but those are the exceptions that prove the rule (i.e. they stick out so prominently because they are rare).

    From my standpoint, a good network is very important, and doesn't necessarily require particularly great social skills. Having good work skills keeps you employed and in demand.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Hilhen7 View Post
    They both help, but social networking has a much larger potential if you can connect with the right people.

    If you know fairly little but have great networking you can land a good position and simply delegate most of the work.
    This, and in many aspects, it's tragic. You can buy/manipulate yourself into positions by connections, and even buy others tell you what to say and do and to whom and when, no need for your own social skills.

  16. #16
    I think bullshit only carries you so far.

    Unless you're in management.
    .

    "This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."

    -- Capt. Copeland

  17. #17
    Void Lord Doctor Amadeus's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    In Security Watching...
    Posts
    43,696
    Quote Originally Posted by Hilhen7 View Post
    That's why you aim for a management position where most of the work is delegated.
    I have seen people who were in management try that, and many times they figure it out, but I have also seen in backfire. There comes a point where a smile doesn't make up for faking it, and if you really can't DO the work effectively it doesn't matter how nice you are.

    I have personally seen managers be sabotaged for shit kind of shit, as some see it as ladder climbing.
    Milli Vanilli, Bigger than Elvis

  18. #18
    I communicate with business reps a lot in my line of work. Despite the rhetoric of "STEM STEM STEM!" we hear a lot, businesses lament the lack of soft/social skills in their employees. Work and technical skills can be taught and fairly quickly. The social skills come naturally or have to be refined over years.

    Both are important, but having social skills adds a premium to your everyday work life and opportunity for advancement.

  19. #19
    Void Lord Doctor Amadeus's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    In Security Watching...
    Posts
    43,696
    Quote Originally Posted by Halyon View Post
    This, and in many aspects, it's tragic. You can buy/manipulate yourself into positions by connections, and even buy others tell you what to say and do and to whom and when, no need for your own social skills.
    The Irony is that places where people do get into bullshit positions based on social skills vs good work, most of those management positions are a nightmare, because guess what.

    Everyone else in management and above is useless aswell and rely on others to actually do good work, It all of course works until everyone is eventually found out and typically the person taking the hits, meaning Owners losing money have someone else take a closer look
    Milli Vanilli, Bigger than Elvis

  20. #20
    The people who have both.

    As for which is more important, I'd say social skills because they can't be taught or given time to grow. With enough routine, people will often naturally gain some kind of decent work ethic. A workplace can't teach social skills to an employee.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •