History Main / HeroismEqualsJobQualification

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Bob is in charge because he can fight really well.

* In ''Film/AngelsAndDemons'', before it turns out [[spoiler:he was the man responsible for it being there the first place]], the cardinals seriously consider making Father Patrick [=McKenna=] the new Pope for saving the Vatican city from an Antimatter bomb by flying it away to a safe distance in a helicopter.

* In the MedalsForEveryone ending of ''Film/{{Evolution}}'', Wayne is made a firefighter despite having failed his exam at the beginning of the film. He actually shows that he is qualified throughout the film (by driving a fire truck, operating the hose, and being generally heroic), but not in a way that the authority figures would be aware of it.
* ''Film/TheLastStarfighter''. During the movie the entire Starfighter corps was wiped out, leaving only Alex Rogan to fight the Ko-Dan Armada. He succeeds in destroying it, and at the end of the movie, the leader of the Star League asks him to rebuild the Starfighter corps. There's just one problem: although Alex is the best Starfighter alive (mainly because he's the ''only'' Starfighter alive), he has no particular organizational/military skills or experience, which would be required to perform such a task. (And in this context, "Starfighter" is really another word for "Gunner".)

* In the live-action ''Film/{{Thunderbirds}}'' movie, Alan Tracy gets made a full member of the team after saving the day... despite the fact he's only 14 YEARS OLD!!

* At the end of Book 2 of the ''Literature/LoneWolf'' series ''Fire on the Water'', Lone Wolf is granted the title of "Fryearl" and custody of the lands surrounding the remains of the Kai monastery after he rallied Sommerlund's Durenese allies and slew Darklord Zagarna with the legendary Sommerswerd.

* ''Film/{{Protocol}}'': Goldie Hawn plays a cocktail waitress who stops an assassination attempt on a Middle-Eastern ambassador and is therefore hired by the US government as a top level State Department protocol official.

* ''Film/StarWars'': ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'':

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* ''Film/StarTrek2009'': James Kirk gets promoted to captain of the USS Enterprise after saving the Earth from Nero despite the fact he graduated from the academy less then a week earlier and already didn't have a spotless discipline record. This then gets [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' when it turns out that he's not emotionally mature enough to be the captain, which he himself realizes.
* In ''Literature/{{Angels and Demons}}'', before it turns out [[spoiler:he was the man responsible for it being there the first place]], the cardinals seriously consider making Father Patrick [=McKenna=] the new Pope for saving the Vatican city from an Antimatter bomb by flying it away to a safe distance in a helicopter.
* In the live-action ''Film/{{Thunderbirds}}'' movie, Alan Tracy gets made a full member of the team after saving the day... despite the fact he's only 14 YEARS OLD!!

* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', Steve Rogers starts out as a fresh private who becomes ComicBook/CaptainAmerica for propaganda purposes, but is made an official captain after his rescue of imprisoned troops and capture of HYDRA weaponry.
* ''Film/{{Protocol}}'': Goldie Hawn plays a cocktail waitress who stops an assassination attempt on a Middle-Eastern ambassador and is therefore hired by the US government as a top level State Department protocol official.
* In ''Film/{{Mannequin}}'', Jonathan Switcher gets hired by the mall after he saves the boss from a falling billboard.

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[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. A war hero from the Bajoran resistance to the Cardassian occupation gets a new title dedicated to him, Navarch, as well as becoming the Bajoran liaison to Deep Space Nine. He feels qualified for neither.
* This has tragic consequences in ''Series/ThirdWatch''. "Doc" is a highly competent and heroic paramedic who regularly declines promotions to supervisor because it is a desk job. He is finally guilted into taking the promotion after nine-eleven but it soon becomes apparent that he cannot handle the job. When he is fired he has a nervous breakdown and ends up taking the fire station hostage.
* ''Series/{{Merlin 2008}}'': Merlin gets his job as Arthur's manservant as a 'reward' from Uther for saving Arthur's life.

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[[folder: Literature ]]

* General Bubuta Bokh ''Literature/LabyrinthsOfEcho'' was a great hero during their civil war and once saved the King's life. The problem: he was good on a battlefield, but as a [[DaChief chief of police]] this rustic BoisterousBruiser is comically incompetent -- all the time. The only thing he does well is roaring and [[HollywoodTourettes swearing]] at perps... or anyone in range who annoys and does not outrank him, for that matter.

-->'' "Are you the new recruit?" said the invisible chief, who seemed to have heard all about it. "All right. You are engaged." \\

* Used literally in ''Literature/{{Harry Potter}}'' when [[spoiler:after the second wizarding war Kingsley Shacklebolt, newly appointed Minister of Magic, decreed that anyone who participated in the Battle of Hogwarts could start training to be an auror regardless of educational qualifications, stating that being in the battle in itself satisfied the skill and personality requirements necessary. This includes Harry and Ron who never went for their final year, and Neville who failed to qualify for a subject generally required for the job]].

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* ''Film/NoobLaCroiseeDesDestins'' inverts this in a "villainy equals job qualification" sense. In real life, Gaea is a StarvingStudent living off a scholarship that she's trying to stretch as long as she can according to AllThereInTheManual. In the {{MMORPG}} that she's playing, she manages to put a whole in-game faction in debt to her via earning in-game currency as a [[ConMan Con Woman]] with a thing for {{Blackmail}}, saving it for years, spending it all in creating a shortage of basic materials in a time of high demand, and reselling it all at inflated prices. This impresses a minor character enough to offer to hire her into [[spoiler:a high-level job in a notoriously corrupt bank]].

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* An example that shows why this is a bad idea in real life is UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant, who was nominated as the Republican candidate because of his record in the Civil War, but who lacked the political savvy to keep an eye on his aides, who got the administration embroiled in a series of scandals that marred his reputation. Despite this he has started to become VindicatedByHistory among some historians.

* In ''Film/StarTrek'' (2009), James Kirk gets promoted to captain of the USS Enterprise after saving the Earth from Nero despite the fact he graduated from the academy less then a week earlier and already didn't have a spotless discipline record. This then gets [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' when it turns out that he's not emotionally mature enough to be the captain, which he himself realizes.

* In ''Film/StarTrek'' (2009), James Kirk gets promoted to captain of the USS Enterprise after saving the Earth from Nero despite the fact he graduated from the academy less then a week earlier and already didn't have a spotless discipline record.
* [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' when it turns out that he's not emotionally mature enough to be the captain, which he himself realizes.

* In ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', Jar Jar Binks goes straight from being banished to being a general after helping the Nabooan humans and the Gungans get along. And then soon after the droid threat is gone he becomes a senator.

* ''Film/NoobLaCroiseeDesDestins'' inverts this in a "villainy equals job qualification" sense. In real life, Gaea is a StarvingStudent living off a scholarship that she's trying to strech as long as she can according to AllThereInTheManual. In the {{MMORPG}} that she's playing, she manages to put a whole in-game faction in debt to her via earning in-game currency as a [[ConMan Con Woman]] with a thing for {{Blackmail}}, saving it for years, spending it all in creating a shortage of basic materials in a time of high demand, and reselling it all at inflated prices. This impresses a minor character enough to offer to hire her into [[spoiler:a high-level job in notoriously corrupt bank]].

''Film/NoobLaCroiseeDesDestins'' inverts this in a "villainy equals job qualification" sense. In real life, Gaea is a StarvingStudent living off a scholarship that she's trying to strech as long as she can according to AllThereInTheManual. In the {{MMORPG}} that she's playing, she manages to put a whole in-game faction in debt to her via earning in-game currency as a [[ConMan Con Woman]] with a thing for {{Blackmail}}, saving it for years, spending it all in creating a shortage of basic materials in a time of high demand, and reselling it all at inflated prices. This impresses a minor character enough to offer to hire her into [[spoiler:a high-level job in notoriously corrupt bank]].

** [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' when it turns out that he's not emotionally mature enough to be the captain, which he himself realizes.

[[AC:Anime And Manga]]
* After the TimeSkip, most of the heroes of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' find themselves leading the new planetary government. This is examined in greater detail than in most series: While they're all extremely popular with the people at large, what with the whole liberating humanity thing, the majority have no interest in or aptitude for politics, and hand off the ''real'' responsibilities to people who actually know what they're doing.

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* In ''Film/StarTrek'' (2009), James Kirk gets promoted to captain of the USS Enterprise after saving the Earth from Nero despite the fact he graduated from the academy less then a week earlier and already didn't have a spotless discipline record.

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[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* One of Literature/CiaphasCain's earlier adventures recounts that the men who were with him during the desperate defense of the local Arbites (police) station against invading genestealers were all promoted in the end. They were there in the first place because they'd become drunk and rowdy in the local bars and brothels; he was just there to get them out of custody. One Guardsman even notes that his new officer stripes just don't feel right, but Cain makes him a lot happier by remarking that a man of his discipline record won't keep them long.

"But I am really unfit——" \\
"You are willing, that is enough," said the unknown. \\
"Well, really," said Syme, "I don't know any profession of which mere willingness is the final test."\\
"I do," said the other--"martyrs. I am condemning you to death. Good day."''

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* In GKChesterton's ''Literature/TheManWhoWasThursday'', Syme protests, and learns why

* Used literally in ''Literature/{{Harry Potter}}'' when [[spoiler:after the second wizarding war Kingsley Shacklebolt as the newl appointed Minister of Magic decreed that anyone who participated in the Battle of Hogwarts could start training to be an auror regardless of educational qualifications stating that being in the battle in itself satisfied the skill and personality requirements necessary. This includes Harry and Ron who never went for their final year and Neville who failed to qualify for a subject generally required for the job]].

* After the TimeSkip, most of the heroes of ''TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' find themselves leading the new planetary government. This is examined in greater detail than in most series: While they're all extremely popular with the people at large, what with the whole liberating humanity thing, the majority have no interest in or aptitude for politics, and hand off the ''real'' responsibilities to people who actually know what they're doing.

* This has tragic consequences in ''ThirdWatch''. "Doc" is a highly competent and heroic paramedic who regularly declines promotions to supervisor because it is a desk job. He is finally guilted into taking the promotion after nine-eleven but it soon becomes apparent that he cannot handle the job. When he is fired he has a nervous breakdown and ends up taking the fire station hostage.
* Series/{{Merlin}} gets his job as Arthur's manservant as a 'reward' from Uther for saving Arthur's life.

* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', Steve Rogers starts out as a fresh private who becomes CaptainAmerica for propaganda purposes, but is made an official captain after his rescue of imprisoned troops and capture of HYDRA weaponry.

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[AC:{{ComicBooks}}]]

* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', episode "Valiant", Tim Watters is promoted to captain of the USS Valiant on these grounds and ends up destroying the ship as a result of poor judgement
** A war hero from the Bajoran resistance to the Cardassian occupation gets a new title dedicated to him, Navarch, as well as becoming the Bajoran liaison to Deep Space Nine. He feels qualified for neither.

[[AC:{{Anime}}]]
* In ''IrresponsibleCaptainTylor'', the title character is KickedUpstairs after accidentally(!) resolving a hostage situtation to command of the ''Soyokaze''. The strategy to sideline him backfires dramatically.
* Subversion: TengenToppaGurrenLagann: After the first arc ends, the heroes who defeated the EvilOverlord are all in charge of some government department or other. Unfortunately, it turns out that being HotBlooded works well for piloting mecha that run on enthusiasm, but not so much for politics.