Well, recently, we asked the self-identifying "non-famous nepo babies" of the BuzzFeed Community to share with us the moments they realized they had privilege. Here's what they had to say:
1. "I work in commercial real estate. The industry is absolutely filled with nepo babies, myself included — I had multiple family members in executive management when I was hired. I realized my privilege extremely early on. Did I work my butt off? Absolutely. Probably harder than most of my peers. But at the same time, I was given opportunities they could have only dreamed of."
"I had easy access to executives and was put on major assignments, and I never had to worry about being fired. Not that I did anything which warranted it, but I could take a longer lunch or go to the gym during the day and know that nobody could say anything to me. I always tried to share what I was learning or introduce my coworkers that were also coming up in the industry. Frankly, though, the cons of being a nepo baby far outweigh the pros. Nobody trusts me, and they don't believe I've earned anything I've achieved even though my track record says the exact opposite. It's made it really tough, and truthfully, one of the many reasons I've been looking to leave and go to a place where I have no connections whatsoever. I know that's a privilege as well, though, because the only reason I'm able to do that is because of the experience I've received because of my privilege. It's a weird cycle, but the most I can do is try to use whatever advantages I've been given to help out other people. I'm not perfect at it, but I've always committed to doing my best."
—Anonymous
2. "I got an internship at a legal advertising agency when I was 12 (Dad is #2 at a law firm). Granted, I don't think they actually used my pint-sized collation of claims and property litigation...probably for the best."
—Anonymous
3. "I got accepted to a prominent arts school, and I had to audition and everything, but sometimes I wonder if I only got in since my parents could pay the full tuition."
—Anonymous
4. "My family is pretty well-known in my city and in the industry I work in. I realized our status in the city when I was 14, and I witnessed my dad call the mayor and get a major road project in our city delayed by three weeks. Workwise, I work at our large family business. In my day-to-day at work, despite having only been a full-time employee for less than a year, I’ve noticed I get faster responses than my direct superior, and non-family members pay more attention to what I say than what he says (and he has a solid 20+ years more experience than me)."
"It definitely has its perks, like if I need something rushed for a customer, all I have to do is tell the necessary department, and it gets done quickly. Customers who call in and find out my last name sometimes like to brag that they’ve been best friends with my dad and grandpa for decades, and try to suck up to me."
—Anonymous
5. "My parents have found me every job I’ve ever held. I think it's weird when people say they can’t find work."
—Anonymous
6. "After college, my mom bought me a business to run, and it wasn’t a big deal when I failed."
—Anonymous
7. "At my high school, every year the junior class would spend spring break in the country of whatever language they were studying. It was both surprising and kind of awkward when I was the only student in Air France La Première."
—Anonymous
8. "I got a summer internship at a music advertising agency when I was 16 because my dad 'knew a guy.'"
—Anonymous
9. "I couldn't get an internship for my junior summer in college. My mom, who was the CFO of her agency, went up to one of the more senior people in HR and said, 'You need an intern.' That internship helped me get 18 interviews for full-time jobs the following year, and a good first job in a leadership program. I like to say I got my full-time job because I worked hard in school and in interviews, but I know I got it because I had a good internship."
—Anonymous
10. "My dad is a doctor, and I work in healthcare. His company just gave me my first job because of him."
—Anonymous
11. "In my 20s, I went to rehab. Most people there were constantly trying to figure out how they’d pay for it, or had to leave when their insurance ran out. My mom just wrote a check."
—Anonymous
12. "My dad manages a radiology clinic in an area where radiology is a huge field — so big, in fact, that we only have two schools in the area that specialize in it, and they only accept 23 students each every year. It’s harder to get into this program in my area than nursing school. Before I had even fully entered the program, I got to spend the summer at his clinic shadowing, observing, and getting experience."
"I came to find out later that some of the interns and newbies on the job had to go through 5+ rounds of interviews to even be considered for a spot in the clinic, and they accept less than a half-dozen every year. I didn’t even have to ask to spend the summer working and getting hands-on experience. I feel bad now knowing I took a spot from someone that summer when I’m not even pursuing that career path now, but I think that’s when I truly realized how privileged I am."
—Anonymous
13. "My husband’s super wealthy family bought us a business, and it wasn’t a big deal when we lost $40K in one year. They also gave us $250K for a down payment on our house."
—Anonymous
14. "I try to tell myself that I did deserve it, but I got my current job at a university because my mother-in-law was the dean."
—Anonymous
And lastly:
15. "When my parents paid for my car, college, and gave me spending money, and when I got my first job, I realized almost nobody has that. Now, I’m very aware of it and grateful."
Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.