Who You Know: Social Capital is Key for First-Gen Students’ Career Success
New report that uses data from thousands of young job seekers finds having senior professionals in your network yields strongest career results.
Written by Lauren Wagner, published on May, 7th 2024 in The 74 News
Lauren Wagner is the Education Reporter for the Omaha World-Herald
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A growing New York nonprofit is using a newly released report to cement data around the axiom that social capital — or who you know — is key for first-generation college graduates searching for their first job.
The report by Basta, an organization that connects first-generation college graduates with careers, tracks the experiences of young job seekers, revealing that not all networks are the same.
It’s particularly crucial to have a network that includes senior professionals, said Sheila Sarem, Basta’s founder. These people unlock resources for first-generation job seekers, like getting a referral or bypassing the typical application. A candidate with a referral was four times more likely to be hired, according to the report.
“The importance of peer and near-peer networks — those networks do matter for a ton for different reasons … [but] the best and fastest and most effective way to [get a job quickly] is to have senior professionals in your network and in your corner,” Sarem said.
First-generation, low-income and underrepresented students have limited access to this type of high-impact social capital, according to the nonpartisan think tank Christensen Institute.
“Young people from the top socioeconomic quartile report nearly double the rate of non-family adults accessible to them compared to young people from the bottom quartile,” says a July 2020 institute report. “This gap should be troubling to anyone trying to support students’ success not only in school, but also in accessing high-quality jobs down the line.”
BASTA’S Mission is to close the employment gap for first-generation students of color and change the face of workforce leadership.
Click here to learn more about Basta and our partnerships.
