[originaltext] When it comes to finding a job, who you know is as important

When it comes to finding a job, who you know is as important as what you know. Work experience generally helps people cultivate the kinds of personal contacts that can lead someone to new career opportunities, but a study from North Carolina State University shows that this is really only true for men. The study finds that work experience doesn’t improve women’s chances of finding a job through social contacts. (29)The study finds that work experience is important, in large part because it helps us develop social connections that can help people learn about future job opportunities. However, while men reap the social benefits of work experience, women do not. Using a national dataset of more than 12 000 people, McDonald examined the role work experience plays when people find new jobs through their social connections. (30) McDonald found that men who had lots of specialized work experience were often recruited into a new job through their social contacts without having to look for a job. In fact, men with this kind of experience were 12 percent more likely to find a new job through informal recruitment than they were through a formal job search. Women, however, did not see this benefit. (31)They were no more likely to find a job through informal recruitment than they were through a formal job search. This gender disparity is especially problematic for women who are pursuing high-wage, managerial jobs—because these positions are often filled through the informal recruiting process that appears to favor men.
29. What makes work experience important?
30. How do the men with specialized work experience find a new job in most cases?
31. What can we learn about women when searching for a high-paid job?