Why don't they do what they say. Say what they mean?  One thing leads to another." - The Fixx

Some call it having "the keys to the closet."  Others say it's like possessing the magic formula or wand.  More cynically,  an individual who is able to consistently land the great job/internship/opportunity in the sky is dubbed "a golden child."  As if somehow, a winning applicant is undeserving of the opportunity and uses special powers (connections) to his/her advantage. I was talking with a college instructor at the Online News Association (ONA) annual conference who (politely) complained to me that none of the three students she had apply to the project were accepted into the student multi-media training project that was held at the conference this year.

How many of us have been there?  We apply and apply and apply and yet, can't seem to get in.  The college lecturer (Full Disclosure:  I'm on the Journalism School Advisory Board where she teaches and I was a mentor on the ONA student project for the third consecutive year) asked what students got in and from what schools. She was wondering, "Do students from certain schools automatically get in while others have to get lucky?  Is the system fixed?"

No, it's not fixed but I can understand how she feels.  Whether it's a job or some other opportunity achieved through open competition, it's easy for the non-winners to believe the deck is stacked against them.  I've been on dozens and dozens of projects and have selected many students/professionals for various multi-media opportunities. As the one receiving the brunt of the questioning this time, I stood by the committee decisions but admitted that such a process can come off as unfair to those n the outside-- even more so when the choosing is done among a handful of elites who seem to magically appear from nowhere.  It's truly not easy to choose, I assure you.

So, what did I suggest?  The economy has made today's competition for jobs or internships hyper-competitive. One position can create hundreds of applicants.  I told the lecturer that the first step is for her to go meet the newsroom leader and ask questions about the process, so I introduced them. The project leader patiently explained how difficult it was to choose and admitted that there are always going to be people who feel left out. The ONA student project had far more applications than available positions. So, step 1: if you don't like the result of something, find a way to go to the source of the decision and calmly ask questions.

Step 2: Get involved. I then suggested that the lecturer volunteer to be a mentor on next year's ONA student project.  And, because I've worked on the project three consecutive years, I'll look to cede my spot to her. This does not guarantee that her students will get in. Not at all.  But, in a highly competitive environment, pro-actively working with people who are part of a decision-making machine can raise her own credibility and profile, doing the same for her students by extension. 

And that should fix it. 

*Chantal de la Rionda edits this blog