During two summers during college, I worked as a firefighter for the California Division of Forestry. I got the job through nepotism, as my stepfather worked for many years with a gentleman that eventually landed a high position with CalFire.
For about the first six weeks, one of my fire captains was decidedly cool towards me. He then told me what his instructions were: they didn't care how badly I bombed the interview (it was a group interview), I would get one of the jobs.
I was the only non-forestry major interviewing, at the time I was majoring in management. Yeah, that really went over well with them...lol.
Eventually, I won him over with my performance on the job, and he told me that. I worked the following summer, after my sophomore year, where I was handed more responsibility on the job. It was a great summer job for a college kid. Had I not received a ROTC scholarship, it's quite possible I would have made it a career.
In today's world, I'm not sure I would have gotten that firefighter gig. I did my best, I could never let my stepfather down. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out.
Seriously though, I have never harbored any "guilt" over my "privilege" in this instance. Although I had help getting in the door, I earned my right to be there by my job performance.
I actually find your story admirable, in spite of how you got the job.
How many other nepos are actually up to the task, the way you made yourself.
While truly free markets will encourage the closest humanity will ever get to a true meritocracy, we will always live with at least a whiff of, "It's not what you know, it's who you know."