In this day and age, is it more who you know as apposed to what you know?

ya..unfortunately thats a truth.its not that everywhere you face such practices but at the same time you can't deny its existence.since its so covert that we can't help it.its better to do what we are capable of doing..improve our skills...n keep trying.life isn't fair to everyone after all.

This has always gone on since the beginning of time. It is called Nepotism - showing favoritism to friends and relatives without regard to merit. Sometimes, the favored one works hard and earns his or her way. Other times, the favored one just accepts the free ride and causes trouble and dissension in the workplace.

That is one reason why some people invest a lot in networking. A lot rides on who you know. Even in a perfect world, if you have two equally qualified candidates for a job and you know one of them, whom will you hire? Notice I said "equally qualified." It's a no-brainer.

I do think that it´s actually both. It always has been and always will be beneficial to know the right people, but they won´t get you into anything - let alone your ability to stay there and be successful - if don´t have the right skills to show for your money.