By Ghalia Abdullah Al-Qaoud

The idea of getting a job seems simple at first. You study hard, graduate and build a strong CV. Then you expect that when a job opens up, you apply, go through the interview, and get hired in the position you worked hard for it. But in reality, it’s not that straightforward. The process feels like a locked system, and the key isn’t your degree and effort — it’s your connections.

As a university student studying marketing, I’ve been searching for a part-time job or internship in my field. My goal is not just to make money, but to gain more experience that might benefit me in the future. I want to deepen my knowledge beyond the classroom.

Although it wasn’t easy, I actually joined a few internships and worked part-time jobs at different companies. But to get those opportunities, I had to fight. I took online courses, attended training sessions, and worked really hard to build a strong resume that would have my back. Despite all my hard work, every time an internship or a contract ended, I was right back at the starting line. All the experience I had, all the courses, all the internships — they didn’t seem to be enough.

Still, I didn’t give up. I sent numerous emails to the companies I wanted to work with and updated my resume over and over. But most of the time, I didn’t even get a reply, and when I did, it was an email that said: “We’ll keep your application on file.”

I don’t think I’m asking for anything big — just a chance to keep working in a field I see my future in. I enjoy every second while I’m working and I take great pride in my achievements. But with the way the job hunt is going, I’m now very concerned. After all this hard work and the strong resume I built over the years, will I have the job and position that I believe I’m worthy of?

It seems without connections, the doors to a job are closed, and they just wouldn’t open. And that’s the part that hurts the most. No matter how much effort you put in, someone with less experience but a better “wasta”, or connection, will always get the opportunity.

Friends and family around me are also struggling to find a job. For example, one of my relatives who graduated with an engineering degree and with a very high GPA applied for a job hoping he would get accepted without a “wasta”. At first, he was told his name had been nominated for a position, but when he followed up, he was shocked — they said they weren’t even accepting applications.

Just like that. No explanation. No real reason. The door that was supposedly open had suddenly closed. Then he watched others with lower GPAs get the opportunity instead. When he asked how they did it, the answer was always the same: they knew someone on the inside.

We did everything we were told to do — studied hard, built our skills, applied everywhere we could. We believed that effort would be enough. But it turns out, it’s not. Too often, it’s a phone call that decides who gets the opportunity. No one listens to us unless we have the right connections. That reality has created real injustice for many of us. It’s frustrating and exhausting. But I still believe that effort should matter. Because I know that I’m not alone — and that gives me hope.