'AITA for pretending to be a nepo-baby to get ahead in my career?'

"AITA for pretending to be a nepo-baby to get ahead in my career?"

I (28M) work in a government job in my country, which is relatively well-paid and offers very good job security. However, it's also challenging for younger people to advance in it, let alone access it.

Recently, we got a couple openings for coveted positions, and due o an effort by my department o get fresh blood because the old guard is soon to be retiring, they are going out of their way to get a younger person o fill he position, but only a handful of people under 30 (part of the criteria for he position) are qualified for he position.

I only because my coworkers push the boring seminars, mandatory certifications, and meetings onto me. Now, my full name is very unusual, especially my surname, so much so that I've only met 1 person with the same name, and this person happens to be a big shot in government (not in he same department).

When the commission responsible for filling he position interviewed me, my name stood out, and they subtly questioned if I'm related to the big shot. I acted coy and did not give a straight answer, and implied, but did not outright say, that we may know each other.

After the interviews, I was among the people who got the position, and some of the commentaries of the members of he commission implied that the ''connection'' to the big shot played a small role.

When I later told this story to my friend, she accused me of lying/deceiving the commission, and stealing my position from someone who deserved it. Now I'm questioning my decision. I technically did not lie, but I still kind of deceived them. AITA for pretending to be a nepo baby to get ahead?

Here's what people had to say to OP:

SomeoneYouDontKnow70 said:

NTA. These people were asking you a question that they had no business asking, and you did your best to avoid answering it without making them uncomfortable. They're the ones at fault for trying to exploit connections that you don't have.

Tess408 said:

NTA. That was a ballsy move, I like it. Now if your "namesake" and you ever cross paths you just give an innocent shrug and a lovely to meet you finally, heard so much about you, and let everyone wonder if you mean you heard from your family or from work. They may need a few days to ask around if you are a second cousin twice removed.

HeidinaB said:

NTA. You are qualified and it’s not your fault that the commission pay so much attention to connections, real or imagined. You could even say that you beat the system to hire a qualified person instead of a real nepo-baby. Btw, I have never met anyone with my name that’s not related to me. I wish that had taken me anywhere.

verminiusrex said:

In a perfect world, this would be unethical. In the real world, you gotta play the game to advance. Working harder just means they give you more work. Advancement is too often through connections and perceptions. NTA.

Consistent-Pickle-88 said:

NTA. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Enuya95 said:

NTA In our world advancing your career without connections is almost impossible, even if you're the most qualified person in the room. You didn't lie. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.