This. Most job seekers misunderstand the hiring process from the hirer's perspective. Companies aren't paying someone with references more because of luck. Th

This. Most job seekers misunderstand the hiring process from the hirer's perspective. Companies aren't paying someone with references more because of luck. They're paying that person more because that person has less risk and hiring the wrong employee is incredibly expensive. Effectively, they're amortizing and rebating the dollar value of that person's risk reduction into their salary. Hint for new/first job seekers: this is why (non-predatory) internships are win/win, the company is able to ascertain your risk (in lieu of references or a track record) and therefore make you and offer and hire you for a higher (de-risked) salary.