Page 2 | To do this for my friend’s DD

Mummyissleepy · 2022-09-22T05:03:12+00:00

I’m a head of department in quite a large corporation. My department gets quite a lot of unpaid work experience requests from young people. I have always declined them due to the volume we get. However now my best friend’s DD has asked if I have any unpaid work experience opportunities in my team. Would I be unreasonable to break my own rule (of declining work experience requests) and offer her work experience in my team?

TeenDivided · 22/09/2022 07:26

Campervangirl · 22/09/2022 07:19

I would, we took on work experience students in my previous role and I facilitated the program.
We also had lots of outside requests but the staffs family and friends DC always had first dibs.
I loved the experience of having young people around, showing them the ropes, setting tasks, chit chatting during the day.
The majority of our apprentices came through our work experience program

To be honest, this is the problem.
You take on work experience from friends & family.
These then lead to apprenticeships.
Which then lead to jobs in the industry.

People without the connections lose out.

But while this is the system I can see why people do it, as the only way to get work experience seemingly is through connections...

OP - really your work should have a policy re this.

Pl242 · 22/09/2022 07:27

I’m staggered that you say you work for a big corporation yet no guidance given by the company re work experience.

understand your desire to help a friend, but completely agree that this smacks of nepotism, which wouldn’t sit right with me.

if you were signposting your friend and her dd to a centrally run application process etc then that would be different.

somewhereovertherain · 22/09/2022 07:30

Definitely do it. If you can’t use your connections what else can we do.

managed to get my daughter work experience at twitter ans sales force in the states via my brother and currently sorting out some work experience from uni in her chosen field.

Skyeheather · 22/09/2022 07:34

No it's not unreasonable as long as everyone else in your Company can put their friends and family forward for a work experience place too.

The way it worked in DM's old company was that every staff member who had a contact who wanted work experience could put their names forward and the number of weeks available would be shared out among the applicants. It meant that every applicant was offered a place, for one week each as there were so many applicants.

It is unreasonable if this is a one off exception for your friend only.

Haus1234 · 22/09/2022 07:36

It’s nepotism - up to you whether that’s something you want to promote or not. Your staff may not like it if it feels very unfair and it may affect their view of you.

America12 · 22/09/2022 07:36

3totheright4totheleft · 22/09/2022 06:32

But this is how inequality persists into the workplace. Young people without connections struggle to get unpaid experience and this has a knock-on effect on their success at getting a first job. I work in a large company where a lot of youngsters are desperate to work, and help to run the work experience scheme within our department. Family referrals are banned and everyone has to apply through a portal from which they are then randomly selected.

Exactly

PutinIsAWarCriminal · 22/09/2022 07:37

Its networking, which is the way the world works, we use whatever contacts we have to try to get on. I got my first job through my parents and my second job through a friend of the family. A relative was lucky enough to attend a specialist senior school where students are known to be cherry picked for higher or degree apprenticeships, of course they get the apprenticeships on their own merit, but being able to get into the school in the first case is another privilege.

Whataretheodds · 22/09/2022 07:38

Mummyissleepy · 22/09/2022 06:42

There’s nothing in our policy about work experience, I had a look yesterday

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But work experience will make someone more employable or more able to articulate suitability at interview, won't it.

You are perpetuating structural bias.

Hoolihan · 22/09/2022 07:41

PutinIsAWarCriminal · 22/09/2022 07:37

Its networking, which is the way the world works, we use whatever contacts we have to try to get on. I got my first job through my parents and my second job through a friend of the family. A relative was lucky enough to attend a specialist senior school where students are known to be cherry picked for higher or degree apprenticeships, of course they get the apprenticeships on their own merit, but being able to get into the school in the first case is another privilege.

It's only the way the world works for people with networks to exploit. The rest have to work 10 times harder and this perpetuates inequality which is a massive detriment to this country. It can never get better if people in positions of authority are unwilling to tackle it.

SD1978 · 22/09/2022 07:42

It's the way most people get on in industry. Who you know and your contacts seem to matter more than many other aspects.

DuckTails · 22/09/2022 07:43

PutinIsAWarCriminal · 22/09/2022 07:37

Its networking, which is the way the world works, we use whatever contacts we have to try to get on. I got my first job through my parents and my second job through a friend of the family. A relative was lucky enough to attend a specialist senior school where students are known to be cherry picked for higher or degree apprenticeships, of course they get the apprenticeships on their own merit, but being able to get into the school in the first case is another privilege.

Networking is meeting people yourself and getting a job that way.

Nepotism is getting your mum to ring a mate and get you work experience.

Luredbyapomegranate · 22/09/2022 07:43

I probably would.. but the trouble is this is why MC kids get a head start.

Can you mitigate this bit of nepotism by building a relationship with a organisation that places kids from less advantaged backgrounds in short unpaid work experience or paid internships?

In my sector there’s an organisation called Creative Equals. Yourswill have similar

Luredbyapomegranate · 22/09/2022 07:48

Skyeheather · 22/09/2022 07:34

No it's not unreasonable as long as everyone else in your Company can put their friends and family forward for a work experience place too.

The way it worked in DM's old company was that every staff member who had a contact who wanted work experience could put their names forward and the number of weeks available would be shared out among the applicants. It meant that every applicant was offered a place, for one week each as there were so many applicants.

It is unreasonable if this is a one off exception for your friend only.

@Skyeheather That is really shite though - it’s nepotism on a grand scale, and entrenches systematic inequality.

Nepotism is human nature of course, so I think the best thing is for big companies to work with an organisation that places disadvantaged kids, and then the odd best mate placement is less of an issue.

Checkmateready · 22/09/2022 07:50

YANBU sometimes it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

SheWoreYellow · 22/09/2022 07:51

Maybe change your policy to have one or two a year from now on.

ifonly4 · 22/09/2022 07:51

It takes quite a lot of organisation where my DBIL works to take someone on work experience, as there isn't enough in each department to get them involved in. It's his decision, so he doesn't do it as he's extremely busy. However, when DD asked him he made the exception and did the planning and organisation in his own time - if you're questioning it morally, maybe you could do any extra work involved.

DD totally enjoyed her work experience and, although, now interested in going into a different field, she used something from her work experience as a start to her personal statement for uni, so I'm very grateful to DBIL.

Motnight · 22/09/2022 07:54

Mummyissleepy · 22/09/2022 06:08

This is what I’m thinking, it would be nice to do something for her and help her. I would do the same if it was one of my team who brought a situation like this to me.

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Do the team know that, Op?

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 22/09/2022 07:54

Definitely do it!

I can understand the point about nepotism.

After his A levels, my son took a gap year & did an unpaid (but expenses & travel paid) intern role at a production company where a friend of mine was a head of department. My son was lucky anyway; he’d spent 10 years as a professional actor as a kid, he has made a lot of contacts in the industry & saw how it all works. And it was invaluable by giving him that knowledge that meant when he went to Uni, he could build on that knowledge, coming out with a great degree & now runs his own production company… where he takes on kids doing work experience & internships.

If anyone can give a kid an opportunity to learn & do work experience, then go for it.

In your case, it might pave the way for other kids to do work experience too.

Original poster

Mummyissleepy · 22/09/2022 07:56

Lds1 · 22/09/2022 07:24

If you've made it clear to team members that their family/friends would be accepted then I think that's fine. If that's not previously been made clear then I wouldn't. It would look like you're making up your own rules.

Your team could have been approached by others already and said no, or that there's no point asking as all requests have been refused.

Yes I’ve made it clear to my team before that i would consider it for young people that they know or their children

OP posts:

Original poster

Mummyissleepy · 22/09/2022 07:57

Motnight · 22/09/2022 07:54

Do the team know that, Op?

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Yes my team know that

OP posts:

Hoolihan · 22/09/2022 07:57

What a fucking depressing thread.

Original poster

Mummyissleepy · 22/09/2022 07:58

Luredbyapomegranate · 22/09/2022 07:43

I probably would.. but the trouble is this is why MC kids get a head start.

Can you mitigate this bit of nepotism by building a relationship with a organisation that places kids from less advantaged backgrounds in short unpaid work experience or paid internships?

In my sector there’s an organisation called Creative Equals. Yourswill have similar

This is interesting and not something I had thought about actually. I might research an organisation like this, I’m actually in a role where I would be able to push something like this internally providing there was a benefit to the business

OP posts:

Original poster

Mummyissleepy · 22/09/2022 07:58

Hoolihan · 22/09/2022 07:57

What a fucking depressing thread.

How is it depressing? Genuine question

OP posts:

musicandpassion · 22/09/2022 08:00

If your team know they can invite their friends and family for work experience, why are you asking? Surely it's clear cut if you say that team members can invite people, you can too as a part of that team?

I agree with others though. It smacks of nepotism and I wouldn't do it personally. It should be either an opportunity for all or none.

charabang · 22/09/2022 08:04

Seems a shame for those youngsters that have the nous to approach your company only to be turned away. Then you give a place to one that has got mum to ask on their behalf. Doesn't sit right with me. Are you more troubled by the morality of it or by what it looks like to your organization?