One of the biggest milestones in your child’s life is securing their first job after graduation. This can be an exciting but also stressful time for them. As their parent, you want to support them in any way you can. However, it’s important to know where to draw the line. Whilst the graduate job search is difficult, it is important to give your son or daughter the independence to interact with employers and make career decisions for themselves. There will be several ways you can support your child to help them to get a graduate job such as by getting them a graduate career coach and supporting them emotionally throughout the process.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss some things parents should avoid doing during their child’s graduate job search.
1: Do Not Contact Recruiters on Behalf of Your Child
Recruiters have reported an increasing trend of receiving calls from parents of graduates, requesting that they arrange a call with their son or daughter to discuss job opportunities. A study found that 22% of parents wrote all or part of their child’s job applications.
This can be problematic for a few reasons. Firstly, recruiters prefer to communicate directly with the candidate as it allows them to assess their suitability for the role. Secondly, it can give the impression that the candidate is not capable of managing their own job search, which can be off-putting for potential employers. Therefore, it’s important for parents to encourage their children to take the lead in their own job search and avoid overstepping boundaries.
Contacting recruiters on behalf of your children can cause more harm than good, by creating the impression that your child is not capable of expressing their interest in a role or communicating with others professionally.
Do this instead of directly contacting recruiters for your graduate son or daughter
Instead of contacting recruiters on behalf of your child, offer to read over their first few emails to recruiters/hiring managers and offer feedback.
Also, encourage your child to build up their own professional network via LinkedIn and attend networking events. Networking can be an important part of a successful job search.
If you happen to know a recruiter personally or in your network, feel free to reach out to them to introduce them to your son or daughter, but beyond that, let your child take the lead in subsequent interactions. It’s really important for your child to be independent and take charge of their own job search.
2: Do Not Call the Company After Your Son or Daughter Gets a Rejection
It’s understandable to feel disappointed when your child doesn’t get the job they were hoping for. However, it’s not helpful to call the company and demand an explanation or argue about their decision.
Employers receive hundreds of applications, and not everyone can be successful. It’s not a reflection on your child’s abilities, but rather a competitive graduate job market.
Calling the company can make your child look unprofessional and could harm their chances of being considered for future job opportunities with that employer.
Do this instead of seeking an explanation for a graduate job rejection
Encourage your child to ask for feedback on their application or interview. This feedback can be valuable and help them improve their job search and interview performance. Remember, companies will often not be able to provide detailed feedback. In these instances, encourage your son or daughter to reflect on their own application and interview performance. If they demonstrate signs of needing help with their graduate job search, get in touch with our team here at Graduate Coach.
3: Do Not Influence Your Child’s Job Search
It’s important for your child to choose a career path that matches their skills and interests As a parent, you may have your own ideas about what career your child should pursue, but it’s important not to impose your preferences on them. Encourage them to pursue their interests, even if they don’t align with your own. Let them take charge of their job search and make their own choices.
Instead of trying to influence their graduate job decisions based on your preferences, encourage them to research the graduate job market and the roles that are in high demand.
Instead of imposing your own preferences on your child’s graduate job decisions, it’s important to encourage them to conduct their own research on the job market and the roles that are in high demand.
For example, there is an increasing demand for graduates with digital or technical skills.
Encouraging them to make decisions based on data and the current job market will allow them to make informed decisions about the type of job they want to pursue and the skills they need to develop to be successful in their chosen field.
By empowering your child to take control of their own job search, they will feel more confident and capable of making important decisions about their future.
4: Do Not Go to Interviews With Them
It may seem obvious, but a survey revealed that 4% of parents attend job interviews with their graduate children.
Attending interviews with your son or daughter can actually hinder your child’s chances of success. Most employers are looking for independent, self-motivated individuals who can think for themselves and work well under pressure. If your child cannot handle an interview without your support, it could send a signal to the employer that they are not ready for the job.
Instead, help your child to prepare and practice for their graduate job interviews
Instead, offer to help them prepare by conducting mock interviews or practising potential questions. Even better, encourage them to get some professional interview coaching with a Graduate Coach. We also offer an online interview course.
5: Do Not Panic if your child seemingly has no career direction
Most fresh graduates do not know what career is right for them. If you show them that you are panicked by this, they may become more anxious.
It is understandable for you to feel a bit anxious about your child’s graduate job prospects because you want the best for them and their future.
Instead of worrying about their career path, focus on them getting their foot on the career ladder
It is important to keep in mind that in today’s rapidly evolving job market, the idea of a lifelong career is becoming less common. 50% of graduates switch jobs after 1 year at a company. Therefore rather than focusing on a specific destination, it is more valuable to focus more generally and on getting that first job that will help them to make subsequent informed career decisions.
Trying a few roles for a shorter time period before committing to a role is not frowned upon as it once was. The old stigma surrounding job-hopping has faded, and it is now considered normal to make career changes before the age of 30. Therefore, as a parent, it is important to support your child as they navigate the ever-changing job market and encourage them to take the time to explore their options.
6: Do Not assume that they should do a master’s to improve their employability
It is important for parents NOT to assume that pursuing a Master’s degree is the only way for their child to improve their employability.
Employers value practical experience and skills over academics. Ultimately, employers need to know if your son or daughter has the skills to do the job and ascertain if their interests and personality are aligned with the company and role.
There are only a small percentage of graduate jobs that will specify that they require a Master’s degree. Therefore, investing a significant amount of time and money in a Master’s might not pay off.
Instead of encouraging your child to do a Master’s, encourage them to gain experience, get graduate career coaching and continue developing in-demand skills.
Rather than pushing your child towards pursuing a Master’s degree, it can be more beneficial to encourage them to gain practical experience, invest in graduate career coaching, and continue developing in-demand skills. This can include internships, apprenticeships, volunteer work, or entry-level positions in their desired field. These experiences can help your child to build a strong foundation of practical skills and knowledge that will make them more attractive to potential employers.
Additionally, seeking out graduate career coaching will give them a competitive edge in the job market. Have them send us their CV via our contact form, and one of our expert graduate career coaches will be in touch.
Finally, it is important to keep developing in-demand skills through ongoing training, certification programs, or other professional development opportunities. By taking a proactive approach to career development, your child will be well-positioned to succeed in their chosen field, without necessarily needing to pursue a postgraduate degree.
Summary
As a parent, you have an important role in supporting your child as they transition from university to the workplace.
However, it is equally important to recognise the boundaries and limitations of that role.
While it can be tempting to step in and try to influence your child’s job search or career decisions, it is essential to allow them to take the lead and make their own choices. Encourage your child to conduct their own research, gain practical experience, get career coaching, and continue developing in-demand skills. Avoid sending job applications, contacting recruiters/employers and attending interviews with your child.
By taking a proactive and supportive approach, you can help your child to build a strong foundation for a successful and fulfilling career, while also allowing them to grow and develop into independent and confident professionals.
Featured image by: Kindel Media
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