To think being prejudiced against the privately educated is OK

[EastLondonObserver]

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?

Me too, I'm sick of top positions being dominated by those who have gained swagger and connections by attending public school. It is honestly a sickness in this country.

Racists? nazis?

Let’s!

Me too, I'm sick of top positions being dominated by those who have gained swagger and connections by attending public school.

Have you considered that in addition to the 'swagger' and 'connection' they might have gained some useful and valuable skills too? Skills that employers are willing to pay for?

noun: prejudice; plural noun: prejudices
1.
preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.

There, I've defined the meaning of prejudice.

So what do you mean by 'nazis' or 'racists'?

Good point.

But my approach to privately educated job candidates is based on reason and extensive actual direct experience. So, by your definition, it isn’t prejudice.

I agree.

So maybe you should have said 'biased' as opposed to 'prejudiced' in you opening post?

Just a thought...

Good point

You are very naughty op winding up private school parents like this. That said as someone who was asked about their comp at a job interview in the City (all the interviewing partners were ex public school) I am internally applauding!

My children went to a private school (senior, went to state junior) because the only local school was bad and their father (who lived abroad) paid for it (his contribution to ‘fatherhood’). I didn’t have two pennies to rub together for it. It’s just an ‘ordinary’ private school (as in not Public, not selective, not crawling with millionaires). One of the kids lived in a two up two down terraced house (another whose absent father paid fees). My (now adult) kids didn’t have any friends in high places so no internships at big corporations etc. Went to ordinary uni (not RG) I’d hate to think they’d get turned down for a job based on their senior school.

And what about the rich lefties who send their kids to state schools but outside that live every bit as privileged a life as any privately educated kid? Thinking of the rich celebrity lefties - don’t tell me their children don’t go skiiing or know people in high places and I’m pretty sure there are non celebrity similar types (I know one). The CV will say they went to state school (think Stella McCartney) but that does not tell the whole story!

You’d be better off trying to get rid of the massive chip on your shoulder OP. It must be exhausting to carry that bitterness around all the time.

This is a fair point, but it's one that's been addressed upthread.

If you're going to look at candidates' educational background, you need to look at the whole picture - not just 'private or state' - to assess just what sort of start they've had in life, and to understand just how far they've come to get to where they are. That tells you much more about their true potential, and whether they are likely to be a strong hire longer-term.

The OP though doesn’t look further than the education though so doesn’t bother reading the rest. Do CVs even cover where you came from and what your personal story is?

No need for you to police my language @thedancingbear. There is no such connotation. Stop trying to insinuate malicious or racist intent where there is none because you don’t agree with another poster.

Dreadful behaviour.

Many companies have introduced blind CVs to prevent unconscious bias, let's hope your company does that sooner rather than later.

Listen... I hear you! I struggle with the graduate recruitment scheme. Doesn't seem to matter where I work all the places are taken by Oxford:Cambridge students who have sooo much privilege already, why do they need more? But your approach is NOT the way to handle this. Why have you never thought to invite equal candidates from all backgrounds to interview?

Do people list their school and not just their school qualifications? Excuse my ignorance but I am sure that my job applications have never asked me to name my school, I’ve just listed my A levels and provided proof of those, the focus being on my university and degree qualifications. I am not in advertising, my employer has been for the most part the NHS.

That’s a good point I don’t even have my school or high school grades on my CV

Just degrees and post grad. It hasn’t been an issue

I studied o/s anyway it wouldn’t mean much. I’d suggest to dc they add just grades to stop prejudice in either direction.

Do people list their school and not just their school qualifications? Excuse my ignorance but I am sure that my job applications have never asked me to name my school, I’ve just listed my A levels and provided proof of those, the focus being on my university and degree qualifications.

That's a very good point!

Applicants can simply put down their A level grades and degree qualifications.

Op, to find the best applicants you should invite ALL equally qualified candidates and choose the one who you think will perform best.

Also, companies are increasingly recruiting 'blindly' so candidates only list their grades and other qualifications. No school or Uni name!

Awful prejudice and unpleasant unprofessional behaviour. I say this as someone who went to a comprehensive school in a poor area and is now in a well paid role.

Not trying to insinuate racist intent. I find the hackneyed ' you've got a chip on your shoulder' to be belittling and offensive. Not that you'd care.

The original poster might be being a bit unfair. I went to fee paying school as have the rest of our family. Like many there it has been a huge commitment to find and pay the school fees. Plenty of children have scholarships or parents don't have foreign holidays whereas others buy their privilege at posh comps in areas where houses cost £1m or find God. it is a bit unfair to pick on those at fee paying schools. Some even get a full scholarship from very poor homes to leading boarding schools - those people then finding they cannot get a job simply because they worked so hard and got that chance is a bit much.

As more people from BAME backgrounds go to some private schools than whites (my son was the only white boy at one stage as a teenager in his whole class at private school) it might even be against the Equality Act to refuse to consider candidates from private schools if they are more likely than whites to be at fee paying schools.

“posh comp” is an oxymoron.