• New research from the University of Cologne and WZB Berlin Social Science Centre suggests that networking may not benefit everyone
• While lower-educated school leavers are more likely to use their parent’s social contacts to help them find apprenticeship-level jobs, they are still no more likely to find a job through these referrals than higher-educated individuals in the same situation, the study found
• However, in regions of high unemployment, young people were more likely to found job roles through referrals from their parents’ social contacts

Nepo babies have gained a lot of attention on TikTok and Instagram over the past year. Nepo babies – short for nepotism babies – are children of famous or successful people, who may have, as a direct or indirect result of these connections, gained success themselves.  

Examples of nepo babies are singer and actress Miley Cyrus, whose dad is musician Billy Ray Cyrus; actress Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp; and singer Matty Healy, whose mother is Loose Women star Denise Welch.  

Nepotism is the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives, friends or associates, especially by giving them jobs. Essentially, ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’  

For us non-nepo babies, the equivalent is using your network connections to help you find a job, whether these are family connections or self-made connections.  

Benefits of networking

A LinkedIn study showed that almost 80 percent of professionals consider professional networking to be important to career success.  

Perhaps you’re looking to find out more about a sector or what a job role entails? Getting to know people who currently work in similar roles will give you a much more in-depth knowledge of the role you’re trying to get, and this in turn will help you in job interviews. It can also help you build self-confidence.  

Additionally, a recent study found that employees tend to be happier with the jobs they secured through networking than through other sources. These job offers were also more likely to be of a higher quality, than those secured without using network connections.  

Of course, networking can also have longer term benefits. Building relationships with professionals in your industry may mean that once relevant opportunities arise, your name will be at the forefront of the employer’s mind.

Can networking really help you find a job?

The benefits of networking are clear, but how essential is networking in securing a job? Surprisingly, not as essential as you might think, finds a recent study from the University of Cologne and WZB Berlin Social Science Center.  

The results of the study, which focused on non college-bound students searching for apprenticeship places, revealed some insightful information about who is most likely to use network connections in their job search and the success of this.  

Networking doesn’t benefit lower-educated individuals

 Using your family’s network connections won’t necessarily improve your chances of finding a job compared to more formal methods, the research revealed.  

Assistant Professor, Paula Protsch, found that while lower-educated school leavers are more likely to use their parent’s social contacts to help them find apprenticeship-level jobs, they are still no more likely to find a job through these referrals than higher-educated individuals in the same situation.  

The study suggested this is because of bias: employers might view lower-educated applicants as less reliable, or their family network connections may be less valuable.  

Networking can help individuals in remote locations

However, up to seven out of 10 job openings aren’t publicly advertised, so networking might present an opportunity to secure a role that you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.  

Perhaps unsurprisingly then, networking is more commonly used by young people looking for jobs in regions with high unemployment, the University of Cologne’s research revealed.  

In regions of high unemployment, networking was found it to be very effective as young people who live in locations with fewer job opportunities were more likely to found job roles through referrals from their parents’ social contacts.  

The findings suggest that networking contacts can partly compensate for poor job opportunities in regions of high unemployment. Dr Protsch said: “Having relevant parental network connections is especially important if young people need to compensate for otherwise poor regional job opportunities.  

“We believe our findings yield relevant implications for understanding social inequalities during the transition from school to work.”  

Do you think networking is beneficial? Let us know in the comments below

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