Is it okay to benefit from nepotism?

[CountDeMoney]

You mean, like Veterans Preference Points?

Not nepotism.

Just a circumvention of the merit system, that's all.  Completely different from nepotism.

[11B4V]

You mean, like Veterans Preference Points?

Not nepotism.

Just a circumvention of the merit system, that's all.  Completely different from nepotism.

Nope wrong again.

If you don't like VPP, you won't like VRA appointments.

Veterans Recruitment Appointment (formerly Veterans Readjustment Appointment) is a special authority by which agencies may, if they wish, appoint an eligible veteran without competition. The candidate does not have to be on a list of eligibles, but must meet the basic qualification requirements for the position. The VRA is a convenient method of appointment for both the agency and the veteran. However, use of the authority is entirely discretionary and no one is entitled to a VRA appointment.

A VRA appointee initially is hired for a 2-year period. Successful completion of a 2-year VRA appointment leads to a permanent civil service appointment. (Please note, however, that a veteran may be employed without competition on a temporary or term appointment based on VRA eligibility. A temporary or term VRA appointment does not lead to conversion to a permanent position.)
The following are eligible for a VRA appointment:
A veteran who served on active in the Armed Forces during a war declared by Congress, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized; a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a military operation for which the Armed Forces Service Medal was awarded; and a veteran separated from active duty within the past 3 years. There is no minimum service requirement, but the individual must have served on active duty, not active duty for training.
A veteran selected for a VRA who has less than 15 years of education, must agree to participate in a training or educational program.
Agencies can use the VRA authority to fill white collar positions up through GS-11 and equivalent jobs under other pay systems.
Conditions of Employment - A VRA appointment is an excepted service appointment. After 2 years of substantially continuous service under a VRA appointment, provided performance has been satisfactory, the appointment may be converted to the competitive service.

[CountDeMoney]

Nope wrong again.

If you don't like VPP, you won't like VRA appointments.

Fuck you and your institutionalized welfare.

[11B4V]

 

[grumbler]

You are hardly a cunt because you used connections to get a job.

Okay, we are just defining nepotism differently.  If merely using connections to get a job is nepotism, then nepotism is pkay, because you cannot get a job without having a connection to the person that hires you (including self-employment, obviously). 

[Barrister]

Here's my nepotism story.

My dad has always been a newspaper man - which was great in the 70s-90s, not so good in 2015.  But anyways, when I was in university (and he was te sports editor), he got me two separate jobs with the newspaper.  For the first, I typed up and compiled the thoroughbred racing results for the next days paper.  When I first started - 1993 or thereabouts, that meant I had to go down to the track 4-5 times per week to get the results by hand.  After that though, I had a fax machine, and an ancient 1980s Tandy laptop with modem - the track would fax me the results, I would type them up, tab them correctly, and then dial in to the paper's computer and upload the results.

You don't need all that detail, but I added it for how a job like that would be completely vanished this day and age - you don't bother with the morning paper, you just check the various websites.

Later on, he got me a second job (the two overlapped for a time).  I did "streeters" - I would go out and ask people on the street (or more typically, the mall) what they thought about some various issue of the day.  I'd type up their response, take their picture on a polaroid camera, and drop it off at the newspaper.  These ran three times per week.  This was great because it wasn't so time-dependent - I could do it whatever time of day in the day or two leading up to the deadline.

But anyways, there's no hiding the fact this was pure nepotism.  There was no open competition.  I was studying geology and then law, not journalism (though I did dabble volunteering with the campus paper).

Was this okay for me to accept this benefit?

Well... they were really good jobs for me.  Other than the one year I had to spend at the track, I could do them at home or on my own time.  The money wasn't fantastic (I got $25/night for horseracing, $50 per streeter).  I was classed as an independent contractor, so I could (and once was) screwed at tax time, but I was at least able to write off some car expenses.  I'd take those jobs any day over flipping burgers or working retail.

Should they have gone to the person most qualified?  Well... what exactly does that mean?  What qualifications are needed to type up horseracing results?  You need to be able to type, and you need to be reliable.  I was both of those things.  And for the streeters - I was able to convince people to appear in the paper (not always an easy task), accurately and correctly type up their responses, and again reliably get my material entered for the paper.  I met all those qualifications.

I'm sure some j-school student would have loved to have had those jobs instead of me, but I capably handled the jobs.

So here's where I come down on nepotism: it's okay if you're get the job only because of your family or connections if you are otherwise qualified and capable.  In fact in such situations their might be a net positive to it - I couldn't just blow off my job duties because I'd not only disappoint my employer, but also my father.

There's a lawyer in our office who is the daughter of a former Chief Crown Prosecutor in the same office (he's now a judge).  I don't know anything about her hiring process, but everyone knew exactly who her father was.  Is it nepotism?  Maybe.  But the office is hardly worse off for it, as she is a damn fine prosecutor.

But where nepotism turns negative is where someone unqualified is hired simply because of their connections.



And for the record, no one in my family was ever a lawyer, so my professional career for good and bad has been completely uninfluenced by nepotism.

[11B4V]

Nope wrong again.

If you don't like VPP, you won't like VRA appointments.

Fuck you and your institutionalized welfare.

However,

I couple of months ago a resume crossed my desk. It was the Deputy Director's (GS-14) son's. His DD214 noted other than honorable discharge and a separation code of JKQ (Misconduct, commission of a serious offense.) They were wanting us to conduct an interview for a VRA hiring of this kid. When we asked how this passed the HRO smell test, they pulled the kid's packet and we never saw it or him again.

Attempted Nepotism 

[Martinus]

The context can change things, of course. Systemically, we'd be better off if nepotism is not a strong force in society. And you'll have to act to maintain your self-respect and integrity.

But yeah, play every card you can.

I disagree. One of Kant's two imperatives (and I think Kantian ethics is the most sensible one when you are not religious) states: "Always act according to a rule that you would like to become the universal law." So no, it is never ok to benefit from nepotism.

Now, would I ever benefit from nepotism? Probably, sometimes, but that would not make it right. I am a strong believer in that even if you sometimes compromise your moral values, you should never try to rationalise it (see: my stance on foie gras).

[Martinus]

Depends on the circumstances.  It is kind of silly really.  If your family member gets you a job it is nepotism.  If your friend gets you a job it is "networking".

I think we all know what nepotism means and this kind of reasoning is really trying to muddle the issue to make naked nepotism more acceptable.

[Martinus]

To respond to BB's story, I do tend to think less of people who got their job through family connections (or social connections that are not related to their job) even if they are qualified. For me it is just a (relatively minor, admittedly) character flaw. I'm a bit surprised that for a person who keeps touting following the rules etc. you would find it acceptable, but I guess we all have moral blind spots.

Of course, that's completely different if you get a job because, say, a former coworker recommends you in the new place because he/she used to work with you in the past.

[The Brain]

With the amount of information given: depends.

[Admiral Yi]

Was this okay for me to accept this benefit?

You're thinking about it in exactly the right way. 

[Ideologue]

You mean, like Veterans Preference Points?

Voted no.  Would obviously use it, if my dad had properly networked in the SSA instead of burning bridges like he actually did when he retired.

[Josquius]

It sucks and it is something that shouldn't exist in this world but everyone else is benefitting from it so you put yourself at a disadvantage not to take all opportunities available

[Valmy]

Depends on the circumstances.  It is kind of silly really.  If your family member gets you a job it is nepotism.  If your friend gets you a job it is "networking".

I think we all know what nepotism means and this kind of reasoning is really trying to muddle the issue to make naked nepotism more acceptable.

Well then I guess I am not sure.  Let's say you had a brother, and your brother founds a company and needs an attorney he can trust and decides to bring you in, and you accept, is that nepotism?  Or not because you are actually qualified for the position?  Would that mean it is not nepotism? And how is that really different from your buddy or some other personal acquaintance hiring you?