this is the most accurate from my own experience of having worked for decades

the idiot who knows absolutely nothing, isn’t even afraid to admit they don’t know anything but is able to bullshit the best, and suck up to the uppers without pissing them off, is the one who advances the furthest and quickest

anecdotally i’ve seen this time and again in IT. someone who really has no business being in IT support managing to get the job through bullshit interviews and name dropping, clearly having no skills whatsoever to troubleshoot or even do the most basic requirements of the job, but being able to shamelessly kiss ass and self-promote makes it to the lead IT position in 2 years, meanwhile the folks who know their shit inside and out end up leaving the job because they get no raises or promotions and just keep getting more work piled on endlessly