It helps getting a job if your parents are known

I was thinking about this the other day and it shows how important it is to know the right people from the beginning.

I attended school with another classmate. Both of us got the same grades (or close to it)both of us took the same classes. However, her radio and public relations job really took off while mine faltered and came to a stop. Why did this happen? Because my dad is a mechanic and her's is a famous rock star.

Yep. I hold nothing against her because she was down to earth but the reality is she was lucky from childhood. Her dad was the lead singer of a famous rock band who also had a successful solo career. Mine was a mechanic who managed to make decent money but didn't know the kinds of people her father did. Her dad's band had several huge hits (including a few #1's) and my dad isn't artistic at all. Her dad toured the world and her family went with, while my family went on normal vacations.

It's actually kind of sad that often our destiny is determined by who our parents are.

I have to disagree with this. My dad was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, news and radio anchorman, was friends with famous athletes and politicians, fished with George Bush 1, Ernest Hemingway, Minority Whip Hoyer [D] MD many times and US Senator Barbara Mikulski [D] MD was one of his best friends and gave the eulogy at his funeral two years ago.

Except for Hemingway and Bush, I have met them all. I am a way past being a 99er and no prospects in sight.

On the other hand, my grandfather was a mechanic, my dad was a child of the Depression and made his way in the world on his own.

A lot of times it is who you know, but right now, in this economy, you could be Barack Obama's sister and still not have a job. Look at John Boehner's 3 unemployed brothers! Being Speaker of the House is not helping them!

It helped her. It may depend on the field because she was in radio and pr and her dad has had many big hits on the radio. She also did pr work for her dad and still does for his now Broadway career.

I tend to agree. The old saying "it's not what you know but who you know" doesn't apply in this economy. A friend of mine is very accomplished and has lived in my community longer than I have. He knows a lot of people. He worked at a company I did. I emailed him recently to see how he is doing and he's had 3 jobs since we worked together. All layoffs.

I used to think this was true before, not so much now.

My husband is a third gen. union electrician. His dad and grandad were big contributers to the union. His dad lived and breathed the union. He sponsored countless fund raisors, invented "The brotherhood fund" and knew all the big guys in the business office. He used to play golf with senator Kerry and former senator morrisey. I have met both of them. A few years ago, my husband would have never had to wait this long to go back to work. He would have sailed to the top of the list and returned to work no problem... things arent that way anymore. No matter who he or his dad knows, if the work isnt there then he is SOL.

New_Wave_Princess wrote:It helped her. It may depend on the field because she was in radio and pr and her dad has had many big hits on the radio. She also did pr work for her dad and still does for his now Broadway career.

Do you think she may have possibly achieved her success on her own merits?

No she didn't. I happen to be in contact with someone she is close to and she got her first radio job because of her dad. He pulled strings to get her a radio job. Much of her career has been based on who her dad is.

Like I said I have no ill wll towards her but yes she got where she is because of her dad. Without saying the name of her dad, but he's very well known as is the band he was in.

New_Wave_Princess wrote:No she didn't. I happen to be in contact with someone she is close to and she got her first radio job because of her dad.

"Heard from a friend, who heard it from a friend......" I don't pay attention to second hand gossip. Regardless of whether her dad got her the job or not, it was probably before this "great recession" hit, and she is obviously doing a decent job and the company is successful because she is still employed!

Actually the pr firm she's at laid off several people but she wasn't one. Part of the reason they keep her is because her father uses them for various things and like I said he's very famous. In fact I often Google her and find various articles she's written mentioning him, including an article in Rolling Stone.

I really don't have anything to say on this topic, but don't you think that Jenna Bush is cute, and she is really good on the Today morning program. So, that's my two cents. Now, don't take it that way - but....

disgustedwithgovt wrote:I really don't have anything to say on this topic, but don't you think that Jenna Bush is cute, and she is really good on the Today morning program. So, that's my two cents. Now, don't take it that way - but....

And if she was a nobody she likely wouldn't be on the Today Show. Bristol Palin wouldn't be getitng money talking about abstinence and being on Dancing With The Stars if she wasn't Bristol Palin.

Well my dad was a corrections officer. So, I really am SOL.

My dad is a mechanic and I'm not mechanically inclined at all.