By the end of the next month or so, most students will finalize their summer plans. I don’t need to emphasize how important a quality internship and ensuing letter or recommendation can be when it comes to getting into grad school, a transitional program, or a real job after graduation. Some are even so forward-thinking they’re considering study abroad and internship opportunities for next year.

My brother attends the University of Minnesota and is trying to arrange for a semester in Washington, D.C. to work on public policy during the spring of his junior year. However, he did not apply for a specific program or submit “cold call” r‚sum‚s and cover letters to congresspeople or lobbying groups or federal agency.

My brother had the privilege of not having to do any of those things. He did what any smart person would do, and went with his connections.

Our mom recently attended a speech by a U.S. senator from Wisconsin at the University of Wisconsin Law School (I won’t name him as he’s likely to run for president and I hope everyone votes for him). After the speech, she said hello to the senator, with whom she had participated in temple youth group activities growing up and worked with on legislative issues when the senator was in the Wisconsin senate.

The senator greeted her with a warm hug and kiss, and after some small talk my mom brought up that her son was looking for a D.C. internship. The senator said of course, and with his aide right there jotting down my brother’s name, told my mom he would be happy to offer my brother a position based on “his parentage.”

So that was it. My brother did not have to send in a formal application or worry and weigh various options and potential opportunities for next spring. After an appropriate thank-you follow up, he has the internship all set.

My senator, like my brother, happens to be a white Jewish male. However, he did not give my brother the internship based on his racial or religious background. My brother got the internship based on what I believe is the accepted, non-controversial form of affirmative action we have always had in our society, better known as networking.

The Washington University Career Center regularly, and rightly, offers seminars and provides tips on how to network. Or as it is known in Yiddish: schmooze.

Plenty of undergraduate political science majors are well qualified for any position like my brother’s internship, just like in cases of affirmative action based on race or gender. Having a connection simply opens the door for him; he still has to do well on the job. Just as any minority feels the pressure of representing an entire race at a job, my brother realizes he must do a good job for not just his reputation, but our mom’s as well.

The system then perpetuates itself because those already up in the system help out the ones they know, and having that first internship is obviously a r‚sum‚ boost to get the second and third position. There is no way to correct for or even the playing field for everyone and disallow these types of connections, not to mention preferences for legacies and big donors.

Instead, we need to continue programs that allow minorities to get in positions to make connections with and give breaks to their children, friends and co-workers.

I’m not saying this is the only way to do things. Plenty of people legitimately get great jobs completely through their own hard work and perseverance. It’s just a lot harder when you’re applying against others who have that edge before they even begin the process.

This semester, I’m interning at the public defender’s office. Every day I see people accused of crimes or convicted of crimes, plenty of whom have children. I doubt the clients I work with did many youth group activities with their senators, and their kids will not have a connection to get a good internship.

We have to keep affirmative action programs because the world doesn’t compete on even ground. The connection system may not be fair, but it’s what we’ve got to play with, and everyone should be included.

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