I think that - at least in Britain -
we're all so childishly meritocratic.

A lot of people leave university with two beliefs: first, that the cream will always rise to the top, no matter how deep the bucket; second, that having a degree of any sort is sufficient to show that you're one of the best.

Both of these beliefs are comically false. But they do mean that people'll often put up with all kinds of crap in the belief that it's only a transitional stage, and some time in the near future they'll be on the board. Silly rabbits.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 7 Jul 2011, 20:11, 1 reply)

See also: internships.
Not sure I'd call the process of getting a specially-accredited bit of paper in order to advance up the career ladder despite a total lack of requisite skills and experience "meritocratic", though.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Thu 7 Jul 2011, 20:29, closed)