Whether your parents are very involved in your life or tend to be more hands-off, moms and dads (and stepmoms and stepdads) can play an important and useful role in your job search and career planning. If you’re comfortable asking your parents for help with your career, there is a lot they can do to support you at any stage. Why not use every resource you’ve got—especially one that loves you? And why not approach your loved ones for help while you’re all eating turkey and feeling grateful? (Just be sure to ask for help before that L-tryptophan kicks in and everyone falls asleep.)
The thing is, there are some areas where it is totally appropriate and encouraged for your parents to help with your career planning and job search. At the same time, there are other situations where it is totally inappropriate for your parents to be involved. So, be careful! When in doubt, ask someone outside of your family (such as a trusted professional friend) whether parental involvement would be Kosher or not.
Here are my personal tips on when to green light Mom and Dad’s help this holiday:
Rehearsing for interviews. Just as our parents can be our biggest supporters, they can also be our biggest critics–because they want the very best for us, of course! Your parents or relatives can help you prepare for any upcoming interviews by running through questions, helping to choose an appropriate interview outfit or videotaping a rehearsal. The more practice you have interviewing, the better.
Reviewing any assessments you’ve taken. When you take any assessments tests—online, with a career coach or in a book (a free assessment is available on my book’s website), your parents can be a great help in reviewing the answers. For instance, they may remind you of activities you loved as a child that you may have forgotten about, but that show up as strong interests on an assessment test.
Proofreading. You can never have too many people checking your resume, cover letters and any other professional correspondence. If your parents have good grammar and spelling abilities, ask them to check some of your career-related writing.
Networking. Your family members count as part of your network. Ask your parents if they’d be willing to brainstorm any of their contacts who might be helpful for you. You’d be amazed at how many people come to mind when they really think about it. And, if you’re like most young people, I’ll bet you haven’t really spent time talking to your parents about your career goals.
Some people aren’t comfortable asking their parents for help and connections—it’s fine if you feel this way, and of course there are lots of other connections you can access. But if you are comfortable networking with your parents, then I’d make theirs the first Rolodexes on your holiday networking list.
