I didn’t know that when alumni came to speak or were part of an on-campus activity, I was supposed to create a connection with them even if they were in an industry that didn’t interest me. I didn’t understand that someday I would be an alumnus, and building those relationships early would simply increase my possibilities. According to HubSpot, 85% of jobs are filled through networking. A CNBC study reported that 70% of jobs are never published publicly.
As a film critic, I have seen plenty of Princeton alumni who are leading media organizations, writing for publications, on-air personalities, screenwriters, producers, and actors. This network is valuable for everything I do in this industry. But if they don’t know me, the possibilities for collaboration are smaller.
The Degree is a Prerequisite, Not an Equalizer
The degree will not necessarily put you on an even playing field. Just because you have the degree doesn’t mean you are automatically in the club. My mother’s generation, better known as the “Silent Generation,” those born between 1925 and 1945 believed that a degree would even the playing field. The desegregation of the educational system was one of the most important issues during her twenties, and it was thought that equal access would result in equal opportunities. My mother believed she was held back professionally mostly due to her lack of a degree.
However, we all know people who have the degree and who have been passed over for some reason or another. We have seen other requirements put in front of us that make the degree more of a prerequisite for consideration. And many of us have experienced people we felt were less qualified than ourselves being promoted over us. I’m not speaking anecdotally when I say people hire people who are similar to them, people they like, or people who are referred. If most jobs are not listed, it is abundantly clear that a person must find a way to be in the consideration set, and the degree alone is simply not the answer. Unfortunately, not being explicitly told this impacted my ability to navigate a landscape I believed would be fair and objective but is a lot more complex than that.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7s7vGnqmempWnwW%2BvzqZmm6SRmLhuw9Giq56qo2LEprHKaK6hmaRiurp5zKiroZ2iYrGqsM2tZK2dnKF6rrGMmpmoraRisLC4y56eng%3D%3D