Relationship building

If you like it or not relationship building is probably the most important skill to progress at work. Most people want to know who they work with. A certain knowledge in the hiring area is also important but the key point will be that the hiring manager trusts you to perform the job based on his ideas. This obvioulsy works best when you already know the people that you want to hire. In most cases they probably also want a network of people confirming that what they see is correct. Keep this in mind as you progress in your career.