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An anonymous employee admitted she achieved great success at her company, despite not really knowing how to do her job or even really trying. She credited her success to knowing how to impress the right people.

Landing a high-paying job or finding job security is something that all of us hope for, but only some actually achieve. However, a handful of lucky people do find it, and very easily, at that. This woman, who works at a top technology company, is one of those people. In fact, her strategy was so good she was promoted seven times despite, as she described it, being completely “incompetent.” She spilled her secret strategy for “faking” her way into corporate success on the “Everybody Has A Secret” podcast.

A worker said ‘befriending’ high-status people granted her 7 promotions, a high wage, and job security. 

“I know basically zero about the business or industry,” the worker admitted. “I am not good at my job. I’m basically clueless. My secret is this … I’ve managed to befriend several people higher up in the business, earning me multiple legs up in the company over people who deserve it far more.” 

Over 10 years ago, she landed an entry-level tech position at her company. She admitted to knowing someone within the company, but was shocked when she actually received the job offer. The only reason that she had the opportunity was that the employee had “vouched for her,” but it became clear that was the extent of the research they had done. 

“I went to a low-standing university,” she said. “I got an irrelevant degree that I did poorly in.” She confessed that most of her time at university was spent partying, drinking, and putting off her work, which resulted in horrible grades throughout her academic career. 

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She got her tech position simply through connections.

“I’m sure the fact that I landed this position would’ve raised eyebrows,” she said, “if anyone else bothered to look at my CV.” While she admitted she doesn’t “hate” the job, she certainly doesn’t like it or care about the work she does leading her team. Along with that, she said she had zero experience in the world of technology.

So, how’d she do it? She made friends with the right people. She’s the pinnacle of the “personality hire” trend, and she doesn’t deny it. Dumbfounded, she continued to work. She used all her friendships and connections to keep moving up in the company, negotiating for more money and status each time. 

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Calling herself “incompetent” in the tech industry, she admitted, “I’m not good at my job.” She continued, “I cannot emphasize this enough, I breeze through day to day doing very little. When a question arises that I do not know the answer to, I ‘Google’ it and change the wording so I don’t immediately draw attention to my incompetence.” 

“Now, obviously I’m not a ‘moron’,” she defended, “I have a lot of street smarts and intelligence.” However, instead of using her intelligence to learn the industry and excel at her job, she said she wastes it on “avoiding discovery as a fraud.” 

After a decade of building these connections and moving up in the company, she was “guilt-free.” However, a realization came recently when a co-worker she’d started with finally quit their job. “They worked their butt off for years, and never received a single promotion.”

Although she enjoyed almost a decade with a clear conscience, she now wondered if her success was simply at the expense of her co-workers and peers. 

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Networking is integral to moving up in a company and in finding a job. 

Career coach Sho Dewan agreed that this woman’s strategy for career success largely reflected the realities of today’s job market. Dewan shared, “The more people you know and the more people who like you, the better your chances are at getting hired.”

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While it may be controversial, there’s an underlying notion, often referred to as the Peter Principle, that the higher up the chain you get, the more money you make and the less work you do, mostly because people are promoted into incompetence, much like this woman.

The details of her story don’t really matter, however. Whether you’re searching for your first job or looking to make a change, the people you know will be the most important determinant of your success. Networking really is the key to even getting a foot in the door in the current job market.

It’s time to stop thinking about what you know and instead start focusing on who you know. And if you are already working in a company you want to grow with, set your sights on linking up with decision makers because they are the true secret to success.

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Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories