How Parents Can Help Their Kids Look for a Job

Two other ways I've seen parents have a positive impact:

(1) Make your network available. If your child is interested in an area you work in, you may be able to open doors for your child. Make it clear they still have to get the job on their own--placing them anywhere under you in a chain of command is obviously a bad idea--but you may be able to set up lunches with friends to discuss what jobs in the field are like and help them figure out what they want, or alert them to new positions, etc.

(2) Set a good example, or correct any misimpressions your bad example has left. Immigrants who come to this country and work seven days a week in order to give their children a better life seem to have children who expect to work hard. Parents who work in fields where calling in 'sick' 20 days/year is the norm often have children who expect this to be acceptable behavior.

If you are in a job that does not look like most of the rest of the working world (professor, unionized jobs, CXO positions, etc.), try to be clear about when your behavior is part of the weird industry you're in, and not typical for workers.

anonymous of AL 2:36PM October 26, 2011