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# System prepended metadata

title: Our Messages

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# Our Messages

## Job-Application Message
Hi {YOUR NAME},

thanks for the connect.

I'm thinking of applying as {POSITION} at {COMPANY NAME} and I was wondering whether you have some advise for me.

I'm thinking of applying as {POSITION} at {COMPANY NAME} and would be very happy to receive some advise from you.


Are there any qualities your company is particularly looking for in applicants?

And are there any pitfalls to avoid during the interview process?

I want to make sure that my application stands out and gets noticed.

## Mentorship Message
Hi {YOUR NAME},

thanks for the connect.

As a young professional I am currently trying to build a professional network and I'm looking for career advice.

Do you have any insights on how to succeed in this business? For instance, are there any particular pitfalls to avoid?
And do you have any recommendations on what kind of skills and qualities to acquire or develop?

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# Distinguishing different types of discrimination
## Measuring Systemic vs Direct Discrimination

We have 4 groups:
1. black with black network
2. black with white network
3. white with white network
4. white with black network

How to differentiate different types of discrimination?
- Total discrimination: Total difference in information provision after both levels of the experiment: 1 vs. 3
- Direct Discrimination: First stage of experiment and on second stage: 2 vs. 3 and 4 vs. 1. (here the systemic component is removed by giving both groups the chance to contact the same people [in expectation])
- Systemic Discrimination: The difference between the Total Discrimination and Direct Discrimination(?)

## What's the economic interpretation?

- minorities individuals have been shown to use the wrong networks. The first stage of our experiment shows that this is partially driven by direct discrimination. The second stage will now ask the following questions:
    - do black networks provide less (valuable) information than white networks? [total discrimination]
    - what if blacks had access to the same networks as whites? In how far would removing systemic discrimination reduce total discrimination?


## How to relate to systemic discrimination
- systemic discrimination is defined as "group based differences in non-group characteristics that indirectly lead to unequal treatment." In our case, the main difference in non-group characteristics is the specific network individuals built. 
    - The resulting differences in informational benefits then stem from direct discrimination (both originating at the first and second stage of the experiment) and systemic discrimination (because blacks are in worse networks to start with, given earlier direct discrimination when networks formed)
    - This differs a little bit to the paper by Bohren et al. (2022), but from my perspective it's another dimension of systemic discrimination. They define the following types of systemic discrimination:
        - Informational systemic: "some signals are systemically higher for one group over the other" -> in our case this may be the number of contacts, but to me this seems like a signal that is too weak to affect anything
        - "Technological systemic discrimination arises from differences in the relevant productivity measure itself, for example because of differences in opportunities for human capital development." -> we keep education etc stable, i.e. we do not have this in our experiment

## Open Questions:

- what does the comparison between 1. and 4. tell us? Do we have any prior on this?
- one problem when running the above experiment in our case is that the participating individuals are the same in the first and second stage. In comparison, in the study by Bohren et al. (2022) participants in the first and second stage differ. Thus, we already know that participants in the second stage exhibit taste-based discrimination. Does this really tell us something about system discrimination then?