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To think being prejudiced against the privately educated is OK

936 replies

EastLondonObserver · 02/11/2022 13:39

I have spent 25 years working in the advertising industry at some of the most highly regarded agencies in the world. Most of these have been dominated (in certain roles, at least) by the privately educated who gained their entry to the industry through having personal/family contacts in it, were subbed by rich parents while working in low-paid or free internships to gain experience and had that empty confidence private schools instil.

Perfectly capable graduates educated comprehensive schools didn't get much of a look in. However a few managed to break through, including myself.

Consequently, throughout my career I have actively rejected almost all privately educated graduates applying for entry level positions. This runs into hundreds of applicants. I have managed to do this without being called out. Sometimes I have rejected them even when they clearly would have done a better job than a comprehensive school educated alternative. These were corporate companies - it made no meaningful difference to me if they were mildly less successful as a consequence. The only exception was one graduate educated at Harrow and Bristol. I gave him the job as an experiment. He was average at best.

I did this in the name of social justice: re-distributing opportunities away from those with unearned privilege.

Have I been unreasonable? Has anyone else done the same?

OP posts:
TheaBrandt · 07/11/2022 08:40

So your point is skiing that all decent jobs should go to the privately educated? It’s gone so well so far hasn’t it the largely privately educated / public school Tories are really making a marvellous job of it.

souperveg · 07/11/2022 08:46

TheaBrandt · 07/11/2022 07:56

As I said earlier if both candidates were that far along the process they were probably both good candidates and there wouldn’t be a huge amount in it. If there is going to be a selection I think on balance the less privileged one should get it - whichever ever side of that my own child fell on.

I didn’t get a crucial rare training contract in my city it went to my friend with a lower class degree who didn’t interview well but his dad knew the partners.

"I didn’t get a crucial rare training contract in my city it went to my friend with a lower class degree who didn’t interview well but his dad knew the partners."

"This happened a lot IME too. Frankly pretty dense people spoon fed through private school and then with crap degree results still getting training contracts at the top firms due to the old school tie"

Totally agree that is wrong. The deciding factor for getting those jobs should NOT have been the candidate's upbringing or the school they went to, the jobs should have gone to the candidates who were best able to do the job. The school you went to, state OR private should not come into play at all. Hiring should be blind.

Jaminas · 07/11/2022 08:50

For entry level graduate jobs there’s surely good enough rather than this ‘excellence’ ‘best’ ideology

In competitive industries, companies are absolutely looking to recruit the 'best' graduates onto their graduate schemes. They recruit from a global pool of very capable and ambitious applicants, many of whom speak at least one foreign language.

TheaBrandt · 07/11/2022 09:00

Yes I know I worked in a similar environment. Most were international I went to a state school and did fine the investment bank I went on a secondment with asked me to stay on which didn’t happen to any other secondee. My face fitted apparently. Dh (also fluent in second language
and went to Cambridge) was on the partnership track - they loved him. Both of us from comps.

thedancingbear · 07/11/2022 09:20

Jaminas · 07/11/2022 08:50

For entry level graduate jobs there’s surely good enough rather than this ‘excellence’ ‘best’ ideology

In competitive industries, companies are absolutely looking to recruit the 'best' graduates onto their graduate schemes. They recruit from a global pool of very capable and ambitious applicants, many of whom speak at least one foreign language.

I've been involved in graduate recruitment in the legal sector for about a decade, sifting CV's, conducting interviews.

When we look to offer training contracts, we're much more interested in potential than the applicant's level of aptitude and experience at the moment of the interview. Graduate recruiting is a long game; most of the people we take on are still with us five years later, and many go on to be partners themselves, possibly spending their whole working life with us. The most brilliant lawyers I've ever met all fall in the 'bright kids from an ordinary background' category.

I'm still interested in learning more about your experience of running and growing a business @Jaminas ? You seem very sure of your expertise.

Readabookgroucho · 07/11/2022 09:43

‘i would be sad if they were beaten by inferior candidates with better connections. Like I was’

can’t even tell you how many mediocre, not that bright, privately educated poshos I work with. They often interview well because they are stuffed full of the overconfidence that comes with their privilege. But often lack critical thinking skills, creativity and anything resembling a work ethic as every obstacle in their lives has been bull-dozed out of their way by their privilege.
They are quite literally tutored and hand held through every exam or test they have.

Readabookgroucho · 07/11/2022 09:47

Prince William getting into St Andrew’s is the perfect example of this privilege- absolutely mediocre student, with mediocre GCSE and A level results.
Theres no way a working class kid with his grades would have got anywhere near that Uni…

TheaBrandt · 07/11/2022 10:12

It’s surely to be hoped that “getting the best candidate” and the competition from global candidates as pointed out by Jamina will mean the success of this type of privately educated pupil will be relegated to the history books. So the genuinely talented can thrive.

citroenpresse · 07/11/2022 10:30

Alas @Jamimas the decimation of language courses is another loss for UK ‘competitiveness’…My (British) DH speaks 4 fluently but a (state school then Cambridge) friend spoke at least 8. He taught himself Finnish to a level of doing interviews for the European Commission in it. The talent in the UK will never be released until there is broader representation everywhere in public and professional life.

Jaminas · 07/11/2022 14:25

Prince William getting into St Andrew’s is the perfect example of this privilege- absolutely mediocre student, with mediocre GCSE and A level results.

Or Charles getting in to Cambridge! Or Prince Harry getting special treatment in the Army....Confused I find the whole concept in f a 'Royal family' quite anachronistic, personally.

problemouno · 07/11/2022 16:15

thedancingbear · 07/11/2022 09:20

I've been involved in graduate recruitment in the legal sector for about a decade, sifting CV's, conducting interviews.

When we look to offer training contracts, we're much more interested in potential than the applicant's level of aptitude and experience at the moment of the interview. Graduate recruiting is a long game; most of the people we take on are still with us five years later, and many go on to be partners themselves, possibly spending their whole working life with us. The most brilliant lawyers I've ever met all fall in the 'bright kids from an ordinary background' category.

I'm still interested in learning more about your experience of running and growing a business @Jaminas ? You seem very sure of your expertise.

Exactly. It's incredibly stupid to believe that companies would waste their time and resources on someone simply because they went to St Bedilbum instead of Parkway High. Get on with the program people.

problemouno · 07/11/2022 16:25

This reply has been deleted

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thedancingbear · 07/11/2022 16:37

Jaminas · 07/11/2022 14:25

Prince William getting into St Andrew’s is the perfect example of this privilege- absolutely mediocre student, with mediocre GCSE and A level results.

Or Charles getting in to Cambridge! Or Prince Harry getting special treatment in the Army....Confused I find the whole concept in f a 'Royal family' quite anachronistic, personally.

@Jaminas are you going to tell us what experience you have of recruitment or the business world, seeing as you are so assured as to what policies companies should be following?

Jaminas · 07/11/2022 17:24

@Jaminas are you going to tell us what experience you have of recruitment or the business world, seeing as you are so assured as to what policies companies should be following?

No, sorry, I have no desire to share any personal details on here, not have I any desire to justify my views. Feel free to ignore my thoughts and continue to support the op's unprofessional approach of hiring candidates.

thedancingbear · 07/11/2022 17:39

Jaminas · 07/11/2022 17:24

@Jaminas are you going to tell us what experience you have of recruitment or the business world, seeing as you are so assured as to what policies companies should be following?

No, sorry, I have no desire to share any personal details on here, not have I any desire to justify my views. Feel free to ignore my thoughts and continue to support the op's unprofessional approach of hiring candidates.

Yep, will do, cheers.

Readabookgroucho · 07/11/2022 19:28

Was chatting to a couple
of colleagues about this thread - ones I consider ‘normal’ ie not posh or privately educated.
they’ve done the same. Chosen the grads with a normal background over the posh ones. Seems we’re all at it…

problemouno · 07/11/2022 20:49

I made a coffee cake yesterday, It's delicious. Probably even better today than yesterday. Supper was leftover roast chicken and green beans from yesterday so no cooking today. Heaven!

problemouno · 07/11/2022 20:50

problemouno · 07/11/2022 20:49

I made a coffee cake yesterday, It's delicious. Probably even better today than yesterday. Supper was leftover roast chicken and green beans from yesterday so no cooking today. Heaven!

@thedancingbear obviously

Readabookgroucho · 07/11/2022 21:05

Yuk, coffee cake.Bleurghhh.

Chattycathydoll · 07/11/2022 21:07

I love coffee cake but it always has walnuts in, and I’m allergic :( same for carrot cake. Let me have carrots and coffee fgs!!
(Not at the same time that would be gross)

problemouno · 07/11/2022 21:24

Oh I don't bother with the walnuts at all, just lots of coffee icing and the filling is mostly butter (salted butter) and very coffeey.
I worry that some people would sneer at it because it's not a genuine coffee cake if it doesn't have walnuts?

NoNameNowAgain · 07/11/2022 21:34

Is this a secret code?

Chattycathydoll · 07/11/2022 21:35

NoNameNowAgain · 07/11/2022 21:34

Is this a secret code?

If it is I can’t translate, I just like cake

problemouno · 07/11/2022 21:40

Everyone likes cake! Don't they? No hidden agenda, no secret code with cake. Cake is just cake.

Poopoolittlerabbit · 07/11/2022 21:44

‘Or Charles getting in to Cambridge!’

yeah, which is why the rich and privileged will always be okay, regardless.