Episode 1

Amol Rajan investigates how young people from working class backgrounds can secure jobs in Britain’s elite professions. With industries like banking and the law traditionally dominated by the middle classes, are there any tips or tricks that will help candidates from less privileged backgrounds secure their dream jobs? He meets people who’ve found their own ways to hack the class system, from a school etiquette class to a university soft skills workshop, and follows the progress of young people trying to get into the civil service, law and the City. Chris feels his Hull accent will hold him back, Paige is worried she doesn’t look and sound like a typical barrister, and Adnan wonders whether to talk about his working class background in finance interviews. Will any of the advice help these young people, or are they fighting against an impossibly rigged system?