It’s graduation season, and at Express Employment Professionals, we hear from plenty of adults looking to find their child or grandchild a job.
We understand. Your child or grandchild worked extremely hard to obtain their diploma or degree. It can be difficult to enter the job market after high school or college, and the more people who assist your son, daughter, or grandchild in their job search, the better.
However, there are right and not-so-right ways to help these aspiring employees find a job. Let’s dig in.
DO: Mentor and Guide Them
Encourage your kid to apply to multiple jobs. Introduce them to online job search websites they might not be aware of, like Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, or the job search sections of social media websites like LinkedIn.
If your child can’t find anything to apply for, ask them to consider other work experience options. Community service, professional organizations, and even part-time work can still look great on a resume. The key here is to do a bit of research and inspire your child to do the rest.
DON’T: Do All the Work
Make sure not to go off the deep end with research. This is for two main reasons. First, if you do everything, your kid isn’t learning what a job search is like. Young people job hop these days, and their first job is rarely the one they stay with long-term. If you do all of the hard work now, your child is going to have a rough go of it when it comes time to find their next job.
Second, too much information can be daunting for a young job seeker to go through. A huge amount of information can be scarier than one piece at a time. Again, just add a spark to their job search fire and let them do the heavy lifting.
DO: Leverage Your Own Network
Getting a job can frequently come down to who you know, due to the simple fact that it’s easier to trust and work with someone you have some sort of connection with. Feel free to ask your friends and family if they know of any openings. If they do, ask if they’d like to see your child’s resume. Also, encourage creating a LinkedIn profile to start building a professional network online.
DON’T: Apply to Jobs for Them
This is something that happens more than you might think. It can be as innocent as calling a hiring manager to ask about a job, or as bold as attending interviews with your child. Although you’re only trying to help, it can look unprofessional when a job seeker’s parent monopolizes the interview process.
You can recommend certain jobs to your child, but never fill out forms or make calls for them. The more companies hear from them directly, the better they’ll know your child. And that will help immensely in the interview.
DO: Tell Them to Contact Express Employment Professionals
Express is happy to help your child or grandchild with their job search! With 40 years of experience, we know what we’re doing. We’ve placed plenty of parents and children alike, and you’ll never pay a fee for our services.
Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, Express Employment Professionals is a leading staffing provider in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Contact your local Express office or fill out our online contact form.
Also, encourage your young job seeker to sign up for the Job Journey Newsletter. We have plenty of job search tips waiting to be discovered.
Still not sure where to start? Check out our ParentGuide, part of our Job Genius educational program.
Do you have a child or grandchild looking for a job? How have you helped them in their job search? Let us know in the comments below!
