<p>Realistically, everything matters when you’re talking about a career path like academic research that’s so incredibly selective. You have to be outstanding to get a faculty position in a good program, and in order to get that position, you have to demonstrate outstanding work from a postdoc. In order to get that postdoc in the first place, you have to do great work as a graduate student. In order to get into graduate school in the first place, you have to do great work as an undergrad. Everything builds on everything else.</p>
<p>I don’t think that means you have to work under the top person in your field as a graduate student or as a postdoc in order to get a faculty position. But having those kinds of resources as your disposal does make it easier to show that you’re outstanding enough to make the cut.</p>