Gaining employment through a relative or friend - yay or nay?

So this really boils my blood sometimes, that is to say, getting a job and possibly a career through 'connections'.

Out of all my close friends (about 6 people) who have recently graduated from university in the past year with varying degrees have got their current jobs which are reasonably well paid city jobs in fields pretty sought after by plenty of graduates, i.e. accountancy, insurance and engineering, through a relative or friend.

Only one of my friends has actually bothered to go out and look for about four months for their own employment.

Now this really gets on my nerves. I just consider this extremely lazy.

Had they attempted to go out and find a job and six months down the line they come back with nothing, then perhaps I'd be more understanding. This wasn't the case however, all of them left university with reasonable degrees 2.1-2.2 (not sure what the U.S degree scoring scheme is like) and managed to ask their parents or relatives to get them a job within 4 weeks of leaving university and coming home. Two of which didn't even have to attend an interview.

Would you find this acceptable to do? Or would you attempt to find one yourself in a reasonable amount of time? Or do you think it's every man (or woman!) for themselves in the current job market/economic climate?

I'd like to point out I'm not bitter :P

I have already have a job.

Also I don't hold it against my friends for doing this, nor do I hate them for it - perhaps more frustration at soceity as a whole about this issue.

Saying is it isn't what you know, it's who you know.

They must be well connected. :/

Saying is it isn't what you know, it's who you know.

pero2008

Do you agree with it though? Or are prepared to go along with it?

It bugs me only because I don't really have many connections but I can't hate somebody for it. If I had the connections I'd use them to get a job too. JML897

By any means necessary.

it's fine, that's what friends and family is for, supporting each other.

Well, alot of success is based on who you know. That plays a big part in Hollywood, and pretty much anywhere. Of course I wouldn't fault them for it.

it's fine, that's what friends and family is for, supporting each other.

kingkong0124

Oh damn. I agree with Kong:P

[QUOTE="kingkong0124"]

it's fine, that's what friends and family is for, supporting each other.

TacticalDesire

Oh damn. I agree with Kong:P

[QUOTE="kingkong0124"]

it's fine, that's what friends and family is for, supporting each other.

TacticalDesire

Oh damn. I agree with Kong:P

This would be a non-issue if you had any marketable skills. Simply getting a degree is not a skill.

I don't see what's against it. Or at least not in my case. I recently took over a job from a friend as Spanish tutor. She wanted to quit and they immediately needed someone else, and I was qualified. I still had to go though the application procedure and everything, though.

You have to take every oppurtunity life presents you, wether it's through a friend getting you a job or not. And believe it or not, most people get their jobs through people they know. It doesn't have anything to do with college or experience sometimes at all.

"It's not what you know, it's who you know" kinda thing.

Its all about who you know. It can be frustrating if you keep getting passed over though.

In response to OP: A little nepotism goes a long way. That isn't to say that I believe in it wholeheartedly. I once had a job that I got through a family member, and I really arsed it up. That said, I won't take a job I can't do. I'm not going to embarass myself and someone else as collateral damage ever again.

I have been offered jobs by family members - work I'm overqualified for, such as IT services - but I still pass on it because I don't want to be working for family if I can have my own job. They supported me for like...20-something years of my life, time to get off the teat and stay off.

Now, when people graduate from university, they rarely have practical experience. If, in the future, my niece ever came to me for a position higher than paeon, she'd better have the skills and experience to back it up. An MBA will not be enough. Actually, it's enough for me to throw the resume out, but that's a rant for another thread.

Take anything you can get, rosebud.

Huzzah! for Nepotism

As long as you can actually do the job, then by all means go for it. Networking and the people you know are a large part of business.

umm.

are you mad? idk i can't tell

HOW can you be mad at someone having more resources then the other? YA it sucks but thats really life. use your resources. IF you have non Then get out there and work to get those resources. i have heard of people going out to bars and stores and meeting people then pushing their way up and tring to see if they have info on the job field.

it's you in quicker your resource can walk over HR and all they have to do say your name and now your name is at the top of the list

it gets you a chance to start off with little bit higher pay. you got inside info and you got someone saying your name. you can push your self a bit

lets you get away with somethings. knowing the managers can some times save your butt from somethings (to a point)

umm.

are you mad? idk i can't tell

HOW can you be mad at someone having more resources then the other? YA it sucks but thats really life. use your resources. IF you have non Then get out there and work to get those resources. i have heard of people going out to bars and stores and meeting people then pushing their way up and tring to see if they have info on the job field.

it's you in quicker your resource can walk over HR and all they have to do say your name and now your name is at the top of the list

it gets you a chance to start off with little bit higher pay. you got inside info and you got someone saying your name. you can push your self a bit

lets you get away with somethings. knowing the managers can some times save your butt from somethings (to a point)

k2theswiss

D:

As long as they can do their job competently, there isn't a problem.

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]

umm.

are you mad? idk i can't tell

HOW can you be mad at someone having more resources then the other? YA it sucks but thats really life. use your resources. IF you have non Then get out there and work to get those resources. i have heard of people going out to bars and stores and meeting people then pushing their way up and tring to see if they have info on the job field.

it's you in quicker your resource can walk over HR and all they have to do say your name and now your name is at the top of the list

it gets you a chance to start off with little bit higher pay. you got inside info and you got someone saying your name. you can push your self a bit

lets you get away with somethings. knowing the managers can some times save your butt from somethings (to a point)

chaoscougar1

D:

ooo a new way i can bash your post

:D

No matter what your profession is, who you know is going to be important. And there's no point whatsoever in complaining about that. People are going to hire individuals they know and trust over an unknown factor, because security is awfully important in competitive enterprises. When you hire a stranger, you don't know if you're going to get a good worker or a dud. Duds are expensive liabilities. When you hire someone you KNOW will be a good worker, the likelihood of getting a dud employee is much lower.

Now, if someone hires a person they know who is NOT a good worker simply because of nepotism or so forth, that's their loss.

you ever hear of linkedin dude? Most people aren't so proud that they won't use whatever and whomever they can so they can get ahead in life.

you should check this place out TC.

http://www.linkedin.com/

It bugs me only because I don't really have many connections but I can't hate somebody for it. If I had the connections I'd use them to get a job too. JML897

[QUOTE="chaoscougar1"]

[QUOTE="k2theswiss"]

umm.

are you mad? idk i can't tell

HOW can you be mad at someone having more resources then the other? YA it sucks but thats really life. use your resources. IF you have non Then get out there and work to get those resources. i have heard of people going out to bars and stores and meeting people then pushing their way up and tring to see if they have info on the job field.

it's you in quicker your resource can walk over HR and all they have to do say your name and now your name is at the top of the list

it gets you a chance to start off with little bit higher pay. you got inside info and you got someone saying your name. you can push your self a bit

lets you get away with somethings. knowing the managers can some times save your butt from somethings (to a point)

k2theswiss

D:

ooo a new way i can bash your post

:D