Last month, I finished my freshman year as an engineer. I didn’t apply for summer internships since I was either too young, or the distance was too far from home (I don’t have my license yet).
My dad, an engineer as well, works for an army base. My dad was accepted into this position a few years ago, and he was referred to by connections (one of his bosses is his distant friend).
Near the end of my freshman college year, my dad worked hard to put me in a summer internship at the same base he works at: he asked me to give him my resume, he showed my resume to his said boss/friend, and I was given an interview. I didn’t expect to make it in because of the connections game, and didn’t really want to because of such connections as well. Dad’s army base doesn’t have a reputation for hiring too many interns as well. However, I was offered an internship and started this month.
However, my parents insist that connections can get you in the door, but merits and the interview can put you down even with the connections, and I can still get fired if I’m not a good intern; therefore, the base hired me as an intern because they liked me as a person.
Don’t get me wrong; I’d be happy to accept any summer internship, and I know college classmates and professors make great connections, but idk how society responds to familial ones (which may look biased).
I really don’t want to get my first job at this army base when I graduate since I want to get a job on my own, but idk if my parents will allow me to live away from them…
Well yes and yes to your original question. Your dad’s connections most likely helped you. BUT if you went to clown school and was applying as a clown to an engineering position do you think you would realistically get something requiring technical skills? Maybe if you were a clown applying to be a secretary, you could get the job however. It really depends on the position.
As for people looking down on you yes that will happen. BUT if you are a stellar worker you’ll be fine, if you are underqualified and do a bad job, that’s when people will really look down on you. The bottom line is that some people will look at you less because of your dad, other perhaps more elitist people will not care–people who are perhaps more inclined to welcome nepotism themselves.
It does look biased, but you need to move on and do your best.
You will meet people who got where they are solely based on connections. It happens all the time. I don’t really agree with what your parents are telling you. I think they are telling you that YOU are qualified so don’t worry, but no, there are people who have no idea what they are doing and who will get things.
Getting your foot in the door with connections is perfectly fine - you should not feel that you are any less capable than other applicants even if connections were a factor in your acceptance.
Almost every person I know got their jobs or internships through connections. It’s almost like a game where having connections is the best and easiest strategy.
So now you not only have to prove yourself but you also have to not embarrass your dad. (Which means he trusts you to do that…) : ) Work hard, do your best, make this one count so you can either return to this place on your own merit or use it as a stepping stone to somewhere else.
And there’s no way anyone would know that you had an “in” from looking at your resume (unless you indicated it!).
True where I work, an engineering job too and I’m not even in college, my group leader happens to know some engineering who really liked me and I’ve known for a while through something else. Had I known the connection before or if it is was relevant to my hiring I would have exploited it to the maximum. In my case it wasn’t relevant since I didn’t meet the group leader before or known it was her. But yes connections are extremely valuable. I have taken the time to really connect with people in various industries including lawyer, big business people, scientists and such. Heck I even connect with teachers.
? you don’t know if when you graduate your parents will let you live away from them? Pretty sure that you must be at least 16 or they wouldn’t let you be working on the base. How would your parents keep a 19+ year old college graduate at home?
From a personal satisfaction standpoint, a way to make the whole idea go away is to blow people out of the water with your work. If you do even more than they expected of you, any notion of connections meaning anything will be forgotten, if it ever existed (doubtful, but maybe in your own head, and that isn’t something to ignore completely). I had that exact situation happen and found this solution on accident, but after, I truly felt like I earned the position, even if I did originally as well.
When you graduate and apply for your first professional job, who will know you got this through your dad? You won’t include that (or that Dad introduced you) on your resume.
And this confuses: merits and the interview can put you down. Merits and the interview can pull you up. You got hired because they trusted you can serve some purpose. Yes, you can get let go (or get a lackluster recommendation,) if you don’t try your best. But you don’t have to go nuts. They know you are a rising soph and an intern, not a highly paid pro. Allow yourself to enjoy this opportunity and have some confidence.
Do not worry about it. Yes your Dad was probably a factor in getting a job…but so what? Many people network to get a job. Do a good job and get a good recommendation. Use that experience to get the next job and so forth.
As far as your first job out of college…at that point it is not up to your parents to “let” you move away (unless you have issues where you need their support)…it is up to you to decide where you want to live. I interviewed for jobs near my family and far from my family…really whereever the jobs were. I so happened to get one in the same state as my family so that worked out nicely.