4 ms·

I think the biggest lie told to me as a child was that if I studied hard and did well in school, I would easily be able to get a good job and be successful. In

I think the biggest lie told to me as a child was that if I studied hard and did well in school, I would easily be able to get a good job and be successful. In the real world quickly became clear that connections and relationships have an oversized influence on hiring and promotion decisions. For example, I couldn't even get a phone screen at my current employer when I applied through their standard jobs site. I found a way to get an employee referral a week or so later and went from being just another auto-reject to not only being hired, but being a high performer (for 5+ years and going). I'm sure that merit plays a large role, but I feel that relationships and connections are vastly under-emphasized when adults talk to children, including college students, about how things work. I wish I had known how this all worked much earlier in life.

autokad 7y ago
> "I would easily be able to get a good job and be successful" I think the misconception is on 'easily'. It took me a lot of work at every possible part of the chain to get to where I am. While it wasn't easy for me to get into a role I am very happy with, I wouldn't have gotten here without a lot of studying and hard work. going to your lack of phone screen issue, do not rely solely on applying to websites. I don't know what all the best things to do are, but you do need to approach it smarter. For example, try introducing yourself to the recruiters on linkedIn. The reply rate (for me, and for many others that I saw) is about 1/50 - harsh.
somethoughts 7y ago
I guess the curious question is when you reflecting on it - does this constitute using your network and connections unfairly to get your job? Should you have insisted on not using those connections and used only the standard job sites? Is this unfair to people who might not have those connections that you did? Are you perpetuating the problems with "the system"? Definitely I could see it either way. For sure you were smart, entrepreneurial and motivated and successfully figured out how to navigate "the system". In fact my main thought is that your comment seems like a great example of how it gets very grey about what the right thing to do is awfully quickly.
- TaylorAlexander 7y ago
  We are all perpetuating this system every day. That’s not in itself a sign that we’re doing something wrong, as most of us have little power to change it. But I think it’s time we form collectives that have enough power to serve as alternatives to the unfair system we have today.
  - somethoughts 7y ago
    Agreed - I think the two ways to lessen the unfairness of "the system" are: - Encourage the growth of multiple "systems" so that the monopoly power of "the system" are distributed - Face the reality that there will always be some sort of concept of "the system" and address it by teaching people how to navigate "the system" or "systems" in school
blaser-waffle 7y ago
I grew up for a while in a non-US country (military brat), and one of the takeaways I got from growing up in a different culture was the expectations that your family, your ties to people, and your ability to "work the community connections" were resources as much as education. To be considered successful in Italy you had to have those, on top of doing well in school and working hard -- and part of working hard was building those connections. The US meanwhile has done a great job of eradicating a lot of those ties in a Jihad Vs. McWorld sense, and leaving you as an individualist consumer.

autokad 7y ago

> "I would easily be able to get a good job and be successful" I think the misconception is on 'easily'. It took me a lot of work at every possible part of the chain to get to where I am. While it wasn't easy for me to get into a role I am very happy with, I wouldn't have gotten here without a lot of studying and hard work. going to your lack of phone screen issue, do not rely solely on applying to websites. I don't know what all the best things to do are, but you do need to approach it smarter. For example, try introducing yourself to the recruiters on linkedIn. The reply rate (for me, and for many others that I saw) is about 1/50 - harsh.

somethoughts 7y ago

I guess the curious question is when you reflecting on it - does this constitute using your network and connections unfairly to get your job? Should you have insisted on not using those connections and used only the standard job sites? Is this unfair to people who might not have those connections that you did? Are you perpetuating the problems with "the system"? Definitely I could see it either way. For sure you were smart, entrepreneurial and motivated and successfully figured out how to navigate "the system". In fact my main thought is that your comment seems like a great example of how it gets very grey about what the right thing to do is awfully quickly.

TaylorAlexander 7y ago
We are all perpetuating this system every day. That’s not in itself a sign that we’re doing something wrong, as most of us have little power to change it. But I think it’s time we form collectives that have enough power to serve as alternatives to the unfair system we have today.
- somethoughts 7y ago
  Agreed - I think the two ways to lessen the unfairness of "the system" are: - Encourage the growth of multiple "systems" so that the monopoly power of "the system" are distributed - Face the reality that there will always be some sort of concept of "the system" and address it by teaching people how to navigate "the system" or "systems" in school

blaser-waffle 7y ago

I grew up for a while in a non-US country (military brat), and one of the takeaways I got from growing up in a different culture was the expectations that your family, your ties to people, and your ability to "work the community connections" were resources as much as education. To be considered successful in Italy you had to have those, on top of doing well in school and working hard -- and part of working hard was building those connections. The US meanwhile has done a great job of eradicating a lot of those ties in a Jihad Vs. McWorld sense, and leaving you as an individualist consumer.