Anonymous wrote:Second-generation immigrant here who agrees 100 percent with the above. A spot-on description of my and my parents' experience the last 40 years.
As a first-generation immigrant who came to the US as a small child, I agree with this 100%. My parents, steeped in their home-country culture, believed that all you need to do to succeed is to get first-rate academic credentials, be extremely smart, and excel academically. And in the workplace, to do excellent work. They do not believe in the value of teamwork, or making and having friends, or leadership/management skills -- they are believers that you basically dictate and act like a jackass to "manage". Life satisfaction and happiness is highly correlated with the quality of your relationships, including your friendships. Teamwork and leadership skills are vital for professional success.
This has relatively little to do with making "connections" (although it's nice to have a network), and everything to do with having the interpersonal skills to be successful and happy at life and a be a positive contributor to your community.