Student graduates use family connections

With the end of the semester quickly approaching, many students graduating from Pacific University will be entering into the workforce. There are several things people can do to help better their chances of getting the job they want, but in some cases that will not be enough, due to forces out of their control.

The concept of using family connections to get a job is nothing new, but that does not mean it is any less frustrating for a person who may be more qualified for a job to get passed over simply because of another applicant’s family relations.

Who someone’s family is or who their family knows should not be a significant factor when it comes to deciding which candidate to hire. It seems unethical to base someone’s ability to successfully perform a job on familial ties.

In fact, if the person does have any family or close family friends that are associated with the job they are applying for, those people who have ties to the candidate should excuse themselves from the hiring process, because they would likely be unable to act as an unbiased decision maker due to their relationship with the applicant.

While some may argue that using family relationships to better a person’s chances of getting a job is simply a form of networking, it is different because the person did not have to do any work or put in the effort to make a connection with these people.

Instead, they are either using people who have known them their whole lives or people that their family members have worked to form connections with.

It is perfectly acceptable to make connections with people that are involved in a certain industry with the hopes of calling on them for a reference in the future.

Networking is an important part of starting and building a career in many fields. What is essential is that a person is using connections that they have made on their own, not ones that have been made for them by other people.

Employers should hold these referrals at a higher esteem knowing that the candidate put in the time and work required to build those relationships, meaning they have truly earned them.