How many people got their job through "connections"?

lambda

lambda

lambda

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I've just been offered a job with a large investment bank, because a (good) friend at university has dad's on the board of directors, and arranged for me to get an internship over summer because I'm friends with his son, which has resulted in a job - which I got without going through the usual rigorous process.

To be honest, I'm not of the calibre to get this job. I only got ABB at Alevels, and study at Nottingham University, and went to a local comprehensive (no private school for me), while not exactly rubbish, but this bank recruits solely from Oxbridge/LSE/Princeton/Harvard ie, the best of the best in the world - an old boys club.

From my experience at university, most of the people that get graduate jobs know people, ie have a "connection".

I almost feel guilty for getting this job, because other people that were better than me almost certainly didn't get the job!
I honestly don't think I'm up for the 100 hour weeks, and I would have been filtered out right at the start had I been interviewed.



Who else has got to where they are by knowing the right people?
I have a feeling this happens more than I think.
 
Take it. Enjoy it. And work hard.

I'd say its silly to pass up the opportunity. Working there for a few years will make a nice impact on your CV. What IB we talking about here? DB? UBS? GS?

Also where you working... back office or front office?
 
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you shouldnt feel guilty, good on you i say make sure you work at it and make something of yourself,iv had a few jobs through freinds so good luck
 
lambda said:
I've just been offered a job with a large investment bank, because a (good) friend at university has dad's on the board of directors, and arranged for me to get an internship over summer because I'm friends with his son, which has resulted in a job - which I got without going through the usual rigorous process.

To be honest, I'm not of the calibre to get this job. I only got ABB at Alevels, and study at Nottingham University, and went to a local comprehensive (no private school for me), while not exactly rubbish, but this bank recruits solely from Oxbridge/LSE/Princeton/Harvard ie, the best of the best in the world - an old boys club.

From my experience at university, most of the people that get graduate jobs know people, ie have a "connection".

I almost feel guilty for getting this job, because other people that were better than me almost certainly didn't get the job!
I honestly don't think I'm up for the 100 hour weeks, and I would have been filtered out right at the start had I been interviewed.



Who else has got to where they are by knowing the right people?
I have a feeling this happens more than I think.
Click to expand...


Take it, hope it works out for you.:cool:

No I didnt have connections lol.:(
 
lambda said:
To be honest, I'm not of the calibre to get this job. I only got ABB at Alevels, and study at Nottingham University, and went to a local comprehensive (no private school for me), while not exactly rubbish, but this bank recruits solely from Oxbridge/LSE/Princeton/Harvard ie, the best of the best in the world - an old boys club.
Click to expand...

I can definitely say I didn't get where I am today through "connections", but a lot of people do use "connections" to get a foot on the ladder, it's pretty common, I'd probably keep it a bit quiet amongst new colleagues for a while tho, but I'd take the opportunity if I wanted the job.

I wouldn't feel inadequate because of lesser academic qualifications, because I'd say personality type is far more important as to whether you succeed in an environment like investment banking.

What would you be doing there anyway?

Rgds
 
Never feel guilty about trading on connections IMO. It's gotten me some awesome jobs in the past, and hopefully will get me some more in the future. Even within job roles, if you can use a connection to someone in order to help you/the company/both, I wouldn't hesitate.
 
rexehuk said:
Take it. Enjoy it. And work hard.

I'd say its silly to pass up the opportunity. Working there for a few years will make a nice impact on your CV. What IB we talking about here? DB? UBS? GS?

Also where you working... back office or front office?
Click to expand...

I know people at all those from "normal" universities so definitely isn't them!

EDIT the *only* place I know of that is that "picky" over grads is Cazenove (sp?) and they're not really big fry anyhow
 
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Got my latest job coz my brother already worked there - to be fair it was somewhat based on the quality of his work rather than him putting in a good word for me.

Unfortunatly in this economy it can be who you know rather than what you know more often than is usual.

I wouldn't feel guilty about it aslong as you put in a good quality of work...
 
My father certainly helped me pick my way through the recruitment process for my job. Having said that still had some testing to get through and an interview so the help was basically pointing me in the right direction for that.

Use any leg up you can to get started, nothing to be ashamed of!
 
I work in I.T for a private bank, my old man works there part time and the I.T Manager knew about me from speaking with him.

A spot came up and through my old man I was given an interview purely to see if I could cut the mustard and avoid on recruiting costs for the bank. Luckily I had a great interview and got on well with the manager and was given the job.

It wasn't exactly all down to my Dad and I like to think that I got the position based on meritt, but getting a "foot in the door" deffinatley helped! Been there 1.5 years now and loving it.
 
Take it if that's the smart thing to do. Don't feel guilty, people do it all the time. One day you may be in a position to reciprocate on a friend's son or daughter for example.
 
I have bypassed HR and gone strait to my base manager to get a few guys interviews, who then got jobs. Knowing first hand that these guys could cut it was a benefit for my company (thats how i look at it).
The company have also now started a reward scheme apparently for getting qualified people in-typical i missed that one.
I got my job here on recommendation and have no problem with it what so ever.
The only thing that ever did bother me was making any mistakes and letting the chap who got me the job down.
Enjoy the job mate and remember it is every one for themselves these days!
 
Nope, got my job the old fashioned way. Kept ringing and pestering the recruitment manager and kept selling myself. Told him I will end up working there anyway so either I come on board now or I will just call him again later when they are recruiting again. He gave me a recommendation and I got the job. He reports to me now regarding any new recruits or internships in my section :D
 
you have to take it, just think how many jobs you might loose out in the future because it was already set out for someone with connections. It'll balance out :)
 
UBS isn't that hard to get into.

The old boys' network is very much a myth created by people without the drive and ambition to do well and wanting to blame it on anything else other than their own incompetence and/or laziness.

By all means take the job, take it! If you can't cut the mustard you'll be shown the door, don't worry about that.
 
Take it, don't doubt youself about being the correct calibre, as I thought most IB jobs were just about being confident and talking **** :p

Besides you must have impressed somewhat during the internship. What degree did you do by the way?
 
I didn't get my present job by using connections but I have had a couple of fairly minor jobs in the past because of knowing people and I wouldn't feel guilty about it should I get a job in the future based on who I know. Getting the job itself is only the first step (it can be a difficult one of course) but keeping the job is the real challenge because you've got to prove your worth over the longer term which isn't something that is as easy to "fake" as doing it for an application process.
 
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