We recently hired a co-op student where I work. He’s a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering at a local university, and (IMO) is not all that bright. I spend many hours a day explaining extremely simple concepts to him. It is also apparent to me that he does not enjoy engineering, and is only in it for the juicy career prospects.
Initial I thought this was no big deal. I figured he would eventually get frustrated and change majors. But he came back to work with us this semester. And surprisingly, his prospects at landing a good position where I work are very good upon his graduation.
Why?
He plays golf.
You see, his supervisor happens to be a huge fan of golf. You would swear he spends every moment outside of work playing it. He goes on three or four golf trips a year, and even built a house on a course owned by a buddy of his. Every waking moment of his life revolves around golf.
So yep, you guessed it… the co-op is the darling of the supervisor. They regularly golf together, and the supervisor is constantly talking him up as if he were WonderBoy. He was actually counting down the days when WonderBoy would be coming back to work. :rolleyes:
Assuming the kid graduates from school, I am fully confident a position will be made for him and he will be offered it. Which also means I will be working for him. (The co-op & supervisor work for a different entity than I do. I sort of work for them. It’s a customer-contractor thing. I won’t get into the details of the arrangement.)
Witnessing all of this is making me quite cynical. I am also an engineer, and consider myself to be quite good at what I do. Yet it’s not often I receive a word of praise from this supervisor. Not that I desire it - I just do my job and do not require my ego to be flattered. But the whole golfing thing just sorta, I dunno, stinks. 
Anyway you can stop explaining stuff to him, or is it your job to do so?
The situation does, indeed, suck.
It’s part of my job, I guess. I give him tasks (mostly lab work) and help him out.
Re-reading my OP, it sounds like I’m envious of the attention he’s getting. Rest assured I am not. I don’t have a problem with praise being showered upon someone when it’s warranted; I just wish it were a result of core competence and not involvement in an extracurricular activity.
Adapt.
Take up golf…you just MIGHT like it.
LOL.
If I have time to golf, it means I have time to shoot guns on the firing range. And I would much rather do the latter. 
Golf is almost a required skill in some places now…if you don’t play golf, you don’t get into certain social circles. If you play golf, but don’t play very well…that’s even worse. (I’m pretty sure I’ve effectively killed my career at my current company by doing the latter.)
Sucks to hear about WonderBoy…I encountered quite a few guys like him in college. Just imagine what his classmates think when he won’t pull his weight on group projects! (If they’re lucky though, the professor rates individual performance based on “peer evaluations.”)
Yup, that well and truly sucks. If Mr. Incompetent does get offered a job, you can use that information - you now know something more about the company you work for (not a good something, but better to know it than not).
I indeed work for a company, but the supervisor & co-op student I speak of do not work for a “company” per say. I don’t want to mention who they work for due to potential RL consequences, but it’s pretty easy to surmise if you give it some thought. (I am an engineer and contractor. Figure it out.)
oooh…oooh! I know!
No, I got no idea.
You are obviously a smarter than average bear. It can’t be that hard to manipulate the situation. The outcome you wish for is simply there for the taking.
I saw a commercial tonight that bragged “Golf free for life!” I was excited until I realized it meant “Play golf without paying,” not “Spend the rest of your life free from hearing about golf.”
Sailboat
Word to tha OP.
I just left a corporate IT job where I got left outta the loop on a major, career-making project because I don’t play golf.
And when I say “I don’t play golf,” I mean, sure, I like to get drunk at 7AM and whack the shit out of things with sticks as much as the next guy, but maybe once a year. And there’s no way I’d ever take it seriously. And I’m going to be wearing a ratty tee-shirt, cargo shorts, and filthy Chuck Taylors while I do it - not some Clown Suit by Haggar.
Fuck you for expecting me to spend an evening or two plus every other Saturday of my precious, precious free time with my coworkers.
I can understand using golf if you’re in sales or some other profession that requires serious glad-handing and schmoozing. But sysadmins, programmers, and project managers? No effing way.
That’s part of the reason why my new job with a small company is way less stressful, despite having more responsibility, more work, less generous fringe benefits, and reporting directly to the owner.
Hell, I’m a pantywaisted liberal, but I’d probably enjoy getting together with my coworkers every couple of weeks at a shooting range to pop some gats and relieve stress. Or go bowling once a month. Or a ball game a few times a year. But nooooo. It’s gotta be golfgolfgolfgolfgolfgolfgolfgolfgolf.
Meh.
Ever heard that old saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,”? Sometimes it benefits you, sometimes it benefits WonderBoy.
Like I said before…ADAPT.
But this time, invite your boss to the shooting range…don’t just piss and moan about not having the time. If it is a job you like, then do SOMETHING to protect it.
The office politics piss me off to no end. I haven’t noticed golf being an issue around here, but I’m sure something is. It’s utter bullshit that your actual competence often is secondary to who likes you.
Not that it should give you any comfort, but I assure you my golf mania and ability have given me absolutely ZERO advantage in my job these past 20-some years.