“Nepotism” is most commonly used for celebrity headlines of “nepo babies” and big names like the Kardashians, but it’s found everywhere.
The line between nepotism being labeled as “good” or “bad” is blurry. Some industries produce stars with incredible talents all thanks to the expertise they learned from their parents, but when people are given certain job privileges just because of their last name instead of their credentials, it can feel like an injustice.
Nepotism remains a stark reality, and you may benefit from it without realizing it.
Where do we draw the line?
Cambridge Dictionary defines nepotism as “the act of using your power or influence to get good jobs or unfair advantages for members of your own family.”
To me, “unfair advantages” could mean knowledge.
For example, being part of a military family made me acutely aware of how military benefits work and how our government functions. My dad always pushed me to look into federal work because there are many positions with robust benefits. As a political science student with this background, I know that would be a career path worth exploring.
For me, this is common knowledge, but for most people, federal work may not ever occur to them without it.
I’m not saying being a military kid didn’t have its struggles, my dad had long deployments and we had to move every 2-3 years. However, because of this experience, I have information in my back pocket that I can use to my advantage.
Is this nepotism?
The idea of “making connections” with people in the workforce is so prioritized because the more people who know your name, the more likely you are to be thought of for a position.
StandOut CV reported that “70.2% of people we surveyed said they had been given a contact, interview or immediate job via a personal connection.”
These highly sought-after “personal connections” are what recipients of nepotism already have by birthright, yet we seek out organic connections unashamedly to advance our careers.
I asked our students what they think about nepotism.
Faolan Adams, a senior at UO, voiced that she witnessed nepotism when a superior hired a family member at her workplace. She said, “It felt like it was serving several people’s personal gain and wasn’t necessarily the best solution for the organization as a whole.”
However, Adams noted that as a political science student interested in working in policy, her dad has worked in several government positions and has given her advice on where to explore careers.
“It’s not that I’ve necessarily been given opportunities because of that relationship, but it does feel like I have an informational advantage,” Adams said.
Ugonna George Silva, a first-generation student-athlete and also a senior, shared that many student-athletes have parents or relatives who are also athletes (either currently or in the past).
When it comes to the athletic industry, Silva said, “It would have been easier if I had someone to tell me what to prepare for. I had to do it through trial and error; it’s harder than somebody whose dad played and can tell them what to do.”
Silva added, “I don’t feel like it’s bad at all, but it’s for sure an advantage.”
It’s also an inevitability.
Nepotism can show itself in many ways, and its more subtle forms are not talked about as much.
Families preparing their children for their future — with the knowledge they’ve accumulated about an opportunity their child is interested in — exist everywhere and at every level, professional or otherwise.
So, before you go on a rampage about how Bronny James and Lily-Rose Depp are nepo babies, just remember you probably have smaller-scale privileges of your own that you may dismiss because they benefit you.
Adams put it perfectly. She said, “Nepotism is perhaps appropriate if your kid is the most qualified in the room and goes through the proper channels, but if they’re not and they still get the job, that’s when you need to think if it was right or not.”
Don’t waste time wishing you had an advantage someone else was born into. It’s not fair, but that’s just life.
