Not really talking about the current job situation, but do you ever notice how there are no postings for really obscure positions that definitely exist but are never posted anywhere? I feel like David Graeber would have a lot to say
Many job positions are never made public and are either advertised internally to the company or even worse don’t exist until some rich connected fucker asks for one to place their failspawn into.
A lot of jobs are locked away behind networking unfortunately. Every so often I’d see stuff that I’d be genuinely excited for (e.g. working on differential equation solvers at a nuclear power plant), but yeah usually the fun stuff like that which definitely exists just never makes it to public postings. I have a few engineering friends who will tell me the opportunity of being just the differential equations guy on an engineering team exists, and I believe them but I’d really appreciate if they let me know when their company is hiring. Right now it’s more “oh yeah I know this boomer physics guy who is living your dream”
A lot of jobs are locked away behind networking unfortunately
death to neurotypical society
I didn’t even think about that. If jobs are scarce in a capitalist system, they’d be hoarded and commodified too.
Why hire a random person when you can hire a relative or a buddy and get something in exchange? It would be leaving benefits on the table just to give the job to a qualified person who doesn’t owe you anything.
Typically those jobs go to qualified and competent people as well. It’s not a “fair” distribution system by any means, but it mostly works out because, tbqh, work generally isn’t so prohibatively difficult to require rigorous hiring processes.
I didn’t mean that the connected person who was hired is less qualified. I just meant that given self-interest in a capitalist society, people in charge of hiring would prioritize giving jobs to people they know or personally benefit from.
I mean that’s just intrinsic bias, but it just sucks how pervasive it is on top of racism, sexism, classism, ableism, etc.
That on top of all those things keeping someone from fulfilling work, a hiring manager might hire their buddy or someone from a fraternity or one of their relatives.
And good point about the nature of work qualifications. Most jobs don’t require intensive skill, education, or training that can’t be taught on the job. I mean people wouldn’t be able to get away with lying on their resumes otherwise.
Sounds kinda like affirmative action but for your social circle
Extreme example, but I believe that’s maybe what @Magician@hexbear.net was getting at? Like you could have all of the qualifications, but you’re passed up by default because of who you are
In aviation new pilots are hired almost exclusively via networking (unless you want to work menial, underpaid and dangerous jobs). It literally is a commodity, specifically jet flight time.
I just found out a few days ago from colleagues that there is apparently a company that will let you pay them for your labor just for those sweet sweet hours.
Hmm I dont know tries to hide jobshaped belly
I had a fucking interview for a IT support specialist position at one of the school districts here and the next day was told I didn’t get the job. Suddenly right after that the IT support assistant role opened up. They clearly both hired the assistant for the specialist position and also wasted my goddamn time.
3 weeks ago I had an interview for another IT position that I felt like I nailed. They said I would know by that Friday. I still haven’t heard anything. Supposedly they had a few people reschedule. They wanna consider the people who can’t stick to a pre-decided time…
Have an interview in limbo currently while we try to figure out if I can work for the direct competitor of my last employer even though the job is completely different.
Had an interview yesterday that I think went ok but not great. $18-22 an hour and no 401k matching. Asked me if I could start right now and told them sure. And my stupid fucking ass is gonna take it if they offer it to me. It’s literally half of what my last job paid.
I’m 40 years old and have been fucking doing this charade for the last 20 years because I can’t hold a job because I’m neurodivergent and that doesn’t matter to the corporate overlords.
Just fucking fuck man…
They’re being shared on a need to know basis between managers and the employees they like. It’s a big club and you ain’t in it.
I can’t help but think that this is just a tantrum for all the anti-discrimination laws.
You’re not going to let white people abuse some type of racial nepotism system? Fine, well I will make ALL my hires nepotism hires since technically that’s not discrimination. Oh, what a coincidence I don’t happen to have any brown friends. Oh well, guess they’ll have to starve.
I think it’s just easier. Looking properly for the most meritous person for the job is a whole process when they know a guy that can do the job well enough and that takes minutes and they get to be the big man in their friend group
it results in racism and classism being perpetuated but it’s clearly largely laziness
Yeah, I’d second this. Anecdotally, I work in a small/medium business and I’ve heard “does somebody know anybody who can _____” many, many times over the years. In the viewpoint of management, it’s much easier, cheaper, and less risky to hire someone on referral than go through the entire application song and dance.
I’ve done a lot of interviewing as a relatively low level engineer and its an expensive process in general for a company. Per each candidate you’re looking at a few hours per engineer, times how many people are on the interview. It ends up costing the company a few thousand just to talk to a candidate over the course of the processes.
If you’re a company looking for 5 good employees, you’re going to spend a lot of money interviewing all the people that don’t make the cut, grabbing someone internally or by reference is far cheaper. It’s sorta a gamble when moving on with an interviewee. You basically need to make a low information gamble based on a cheaper short screening, to see if its worth the time for a full interview.
I don’t really support no-interview hires unless they previously worked in that position, left, and came back though.
