Want To Succeed In Elite Occupations? Who’s Your Daddy? And Mommy?

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Professional Glass Ceiling Shatterer…

Once again, research reveals that the secret to success is picking your parents very carefully.

In this case, it’s workers in elite occupations, such as professors. According to a recent article in the New York Times, PhD students whose parents went to college — or better yet, grad school — not only had better connections, they had insights and experience on reading a room, networking, and prioritization. Consequently, they were more likely to get tenure.

Those whose parents didn’t go to college? Hello, glass ceiling.

This finding applies to other elite occupations, such as consulting, where having educated parents is a strong advantage. According to the NY Times, “Being female or a person of color has long been seen as a disadvantage in hiring and promotion. A new study of college professors shows that class may loom as large.”

My takeaway: Learning to work a room is just as important as learning your craft, and it should be taught long before students get to college.