Your Two Cents: Has Nepotism Ever Gotten You a Job?

July 26, 2008

The overwhelming majority of you — 80 percent — think getting ahead in this world is more about who you know than what you know. Connections are undoubtedly important, which is why networking is such a valuable tool, but nepotism puts an interesting twist on things.

Nepotism doesn't have the best connotations: Hiring someone because of who she knows or who she's related to, even though other applicants may be better candidates for the job, is frustrating for those not so in-the-know. However, that's certainly not to say that some hires based on nepotism don't turn out to be stand-out employees.

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16 Comments

callmefoxxyy 4 years 42 weeks

duh, it's ALLL about who you know

italianblonde 4 years 43 weeks

It definitely helped me get 3 jobs that I've had. It's always great to have connections. The only time I felt bad about it was when I was in college and got a few scholarships because of it, and I knew my grades like, sucked at that point in time too.

CYL 4 years 43 weeks

Kind of ...my old boss hired me for a job than he left for another company..a year later when he was hiring again I asked if he think I'd be a good fit and I basically got the job through him. But I had proven to him before that I was a good worker!

skigurl 4 years 43 weeks

yup, i got a job when i was 14 because my uncle was ths manager. it was just a summer job, but i worked there every summer and christmas for 10 years following, and now that i have a full time job elsewhere, my little sister does my job. my uncle has long since moved to another company (he actually moved the first summer i was there) but he got me in the door, and since then that company has been my lifeline!

LoveSarah 4 years 43 weeks

I've never gotten a job through nepotism and I'm proud of that. I know many friends who always get jobs because their parents or because of family friends, and they have a terrible work ethic and they think jobs will just find them, which wont always be the case. I'd rather work hard and know that I got the job because I was the best candidate, not because my mom or dad is some one who works with that company.

bellaressa 4 years 43 weeks

Never.

gigill 4 years 43 weeks

My aunt used to be a part of a tennis club where they hired summer students to run the clubhouse, a very elementary job where I think they just needed recommendations from members to find some decent workers. As for my current job, my aunt found out I was moving to the UK, flooded the contacts with my resume and I ended up getting a job through her ex-husband. He knows me and knows I am a capable/reliable worker and needed someone quickly without the hassle of posting for the job/interviews etc. It's a basic office job so again, the nepotism didn't really matter.

hippiecowgirl 4 years 43 weeks

I took a civil service exam and scored in the top 10 out of 350+ candidates which gave me the right to an interview. My father and uncle both work for the same city and knew several people involved in the hiring for this position. Who I knew certainly didn't get me the interview, but I don't think it hurt me.

fleurfairy 4 years 43 weeks

No and I'm very proud of that fact.

javsmav 4 years 43 weeks

My aunt was the manager of a movie gallery when I was in high school & hired me to work in the store, but nepotism hasn't helped me since then. Which sucks, because I've been looking for a new job for FOREVER in a city where I know no one.

sanriano 4 years 43 weeks

i think getting a job thru nepotism places heavier pressure on the hired candidate to do well on the job to prove that you also greatly deserve that position as much as or even more than the other candidates. no one wants to disappoint the person(s) who helped them get that position.

sfbutterfly24 4 years 43 weeks

whe I was younger I was hired just because I was my moms Kid and the fact that they knew I would actually work out. I hope this happens again the future because I want one of her bosses job who has hinted that I could have her job later because I am moms child but also because I have the same work ethic as my mom who she loves!

Renees3 4 years 43 weeks

Kind of. A friend of ours worked at a temp agency and she definitely helped me get a better job, but once I was at the job it was all me that got hired on permanently

tee0206 4 years 43 weeks

I've definitely gotten in the door (and offered jobs) because of family friends, but I was already a really good candidate. I've found my past few interviews and jobs through a women's networking group that I'm a part of, though. I've been involved in various networking groups since college.