Its Not About What You Know but Who You Know.

Is finding a job that one would enjoy doing is nearly impossible in todays world? I started thinking about it when i had to conduct interviews for people applying for sunglass hut. The point that my boss emphasized to pay attention too was "Work Experience." Now by far the person who had the best interview was a 19 year old girl named Jasmine Santos but she was held back by work experience. She had a energetic personality and was very easy to talk to and half way through the interview she was telling me about how she really loves sunglass and has 12 pairs and feels she would be able to help customers pick out pairs that bast suit them. These were qualities that we look for. Now the other 3 people interviewed were at least 4 years her elder and had a lot more work experience ranging from customer service and retail to office assistants. Now they all gave me a vibe that they were just saying what i wanted to hear and giving almost robotic answers. 

When we and my manage where going over the interviews i kept saying Jasmine felt like the one who would fit in and perform the best for our store but my manager kept referring to her work experience as an issue. I told her that this would be her first job, like she told me, but it would be one she would enjoy doing. 

Now when i applied for the job i only had one other job that had no relation to sells or retail and only applied because my cousins friend, who is the regional manager, and my cousin assured me she would get me a job. I then asked my boss why she hired me if i had little work experience? She replied " Well of course Melissa ( regional Manger) told us to take a chance on you, you also had a strong interview, so we hired you and you turned out amazing and thats why you are where you are? I started to wonder whether thats the only reason i got the jib. Not because I was Qualified but because I knew somebody who knew somebody. Most students out of high school lands jobs at like McDonalds or something, not because they had bad resumes or anything of that nature but probably because thats the only place that would hire them. Unfortunately Jasmine wasn't picked to get called back for a second interview and that made me a little upset because her Work Experience was not at the level of the other 3 people.  Has todays work force developed into a system where you have to know somebody to get a good job? Are young adults at a disadvantage for jobs they would enjoy? most importantly, Is it Fair that Work Experience has such a large impact on a decision to Hire someone?