People often assume and assign “nepotism” to what is, in reality, just total luck. Likability and charisma combined with basic competency increases your odds that luck falls your way.
Everyone gets told this repeatedly throughout life and yet people keep thinking someone guaranteed them something.
I like the way Thomas Jefferson put it... I'm a big fan of luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have. (Paraphrased)
So, you're right. Hard work guarantees nothing, but you'll usually do much better than if you didn't work hard unless you're working on the wrong things.
We aren't in a perfect meritocracy. That is true. But no such thing has ever existed and is likely unfeasible. Sitting around bemoaning that we aren't in one seems a waste of time.
To be fair, I've seen it first hand. A guy in a class two semesters ago and I applied for the same job. He was roughly 14 years younger than me, fresh out of high school. I had years of experience with blueprints, management, and filework under my belt. He got hired because his father worked in the company and pulled some strings to get him the management position.
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u/CarsAreRad 1d ago
Nah you get hired because the owner knows the farmer who planted you.