I've had both. My first job was at McDonalds, it was about 4 years after my brother had worked there and I applied on a whim. The owner happened to be there and when she saw my last name she asked if I was related to my brother, and when I confirmed it she hired me on the spot. My second job was as a deckhand on a tug boat, my dad knew the owner and they needed someone to do manual labor, so I got the job. My 3rd job was in retail and I got it on my own at college - I applied with a bunch of other people and nailed the interview. My 4th job was another retail job that I applied and, again, nailed the interview. My 5th job is the one that got me started on my career, and it absolutely was because of who I knew... one of my prior work friends had gotten a job at a local ISP and he was able to get me onboard as well. That friend then left after a few years and got a job at a larger ISP in a much larger city, and about a year later he got me onboard again. Then I decided to go back to college and graduate, and after graduation that same friend got me a job in an IT department for a software company he was working for... during the interview process one of the interviewers asked if I knew anyone who worked there and when I dropped this guy's name the interview was over, he said I got his vote. Then 16 years later I was laid off and had to find a job on my own. After 3 months - and 1000+ applications submitted - I got on with a large medical equipment manufacturing company all on my own. It helps a TON to know the right people, but it isn't impossible to find something if you have the right skills (both job skills and social skills for getting through an interview). If you find someone who can get you in the door, cherish them because they can be truly life changing friends.