1. Home
2. Idioms
3. it's not what you know but who you know

it's not what you know but who you know

---

---

it's not what you know but who you know

People benefit more from personal connections (to people who can help them) than from their own knowledge. A: "I can't believe they hired the CEO's niece instead of me! I have two degrees, and she just graduated from college!" B: "Well, it's not what you know but who you know."

See also: but, know, not, who