It's (Not) What You Know: Phrase Has No Business in Job Hunting Culture

I'm sick of hearing about people receiving jobs and getting first choice interviews all because "it's not what you know, but who you know." Give me a break. It amazes me how many qualified applicants get passed over because they do not know the right people in the right places.

I first began to notice the problem in high school. My home school district had an infamous reputation for hiring new teachers and staff members who were either related to current teachers or members of the school board. Every time a relative was hired, the public would hear in the media how this person just happened to be the most qualified. I could probably see a friend or family member being the "most qualified" once in awhile, but I don't buy that they are always the best candidate. In most cases, they're probably the best because no other candidates were related to school board members.

The "who you know" principle also applies to politics. If you don't have one of these families in your area, these are the people who run for the same elections every year and have the same last name as a past or current elected official. Then, they get voted into that office, regardless of whether or not they are worthy of the position they are elected for.

Most times, these candidates end up being a recipe for disaster. If you want a national level example, look at the approval rating for our current President Bush. Did this nation really think he would be a wonderful president because of his father? Someone would have to help me because first of all, I did not vote for Bush's second term and second of all, I'm too young to remember the presidency of the first Bush.

Today, numerous articles about career networking are written across the Internet, leading us to believe that we will not get a job unless we know someone in the right places. This applies no matter how old you are or what kind of work you need. One of my friends told me he got a job at a deli clerk because he knew half the staff at a grocery store in his hometown. Several high school and college students have summer jobs because their parents work at a utility company. Donald Trump's daughter is vice president of his company. Need I say more?

I am not trying to underestimate the importance of networking. However, I do think it is ludicrous that people are denied jobs, no matter how qualified they are, because of this. It almost seems like the value of job experience and education is out the window. Rather, it has become all about relying on your connections to get a job. Employees' friends and relatives are placed in jobs everyday because they had an in at the company they want to work at. I would like to know: were these peoples' qualifications even considered? Did they have to go through the same process as everyone else? Employers will lead you to believe the selection process is fair, but how can anyone believe them?

In all fairness, I have gotten opportunities, even if they did fall through, because of who I am connected to. While I am grateful for them, I was also recently denied a restaurant job even though I put down one of the current employees as a reference. I thought I'd have the job because I knew this particular waitress, but I didn't get it. Meanwhile, other people get jobs and brag about "oh I knew this person so that really helped me out." Apparently the "who you know" theory only favors you if several people can brag about your credentials.

My belief is that the "It's not what you know, but who you know" mantra is flawed. It favors the privileged and the underqualified. It does not help everyone who has the right qualifications; these people usually end up unemployed or at unfulfilling jobs for months on end. Now how is that fair? We should be able to provide adequate employment to everyone, not just to those who know the CEO.