The thing is &quot;merit&quot;  an be any number of things.  You can say the student most in debt merits the job the most, or the person with the most experience, or the person exhibiting most ability, or the person who had to overcome obstacle.<p>But when people invoke merit they typically mean they&#x27;re avoiding favoritism, nepotism, and are looking for someone who given what they know or learn about the person would best fit into the job to execute it.