<p>As with the cases cited by the article, my own observations and those of older colleagues/supervisors was that they stood out precisely because such instances are so far from the norm that it really stands out. </p>
<p>Not really a big deal as candidates dumb enough to bring their parents or otherwise involve them in the job interview/negotiation process effectively eliminate themselves instantly. HR colleagues/hiring managers move on to the next candidates and recount the story as a cautionary tale and a Darwin award type humor story at lunch.</p>
<p>With regard to the parents–I confess I have driven S to a job interview, dropped him off and gone to buy myself a nice snack. He called me back when he was done with the interview–great job offer in hand. </p>
<p>S also listed me as an employer on a employment background form because the form said, “list ALL past employers.” Our non-profit hired him to create our website and maintain it; as executive director, employees report to me. I explained this to the person who was doing his background check and was surprised I was listed. S is definitely a literal and complete kid. His background check proceeded smoothly with that clarification.</p>
<p>I have a staff member who calls, accepts calls from her H and does other personal things on business time. It’s very unprofessional but she is good in other areas so I overlook a lot. I would have difficulty giving her an unqualified endorsement, but fortunately she hasn’t asked me for a recommendation. </p>
<p>I was surprised that S was able to get two great internships even though he stated up front that one summer he was spending the month of July out of country. The next summer he was again able to get a internship allowing him to leave for three weeks in the middle of the summer.</p>
<p>I am aware of cases of people’s parents applying on their behalf - “My daughter Jane is lovely and would be great for your organisation…”, often from parents who are used to wielding considerable influence in their professional lives (elected politicians was the example given). </p>
<p>As the recruiter who told me about this said, they make themselves stand out, but not in a good way.</p>
<p>^^^This! My wife is a manager at a small women’s only gym. Entry level positions in the field of fitness tend to generate bizarre applicants. They tend to either they have no clue or are recent fitness/exercise grads who think they deserve $20/hr.</p>
<p>Following one job post, a mature woman came in and picked up an app. Well-spoken, carried herself well. My wife was excited at the prospect of interviewing her later. At the set time, a 19 yr old girl comes in – weakly claiming it was she who had gotten the app. The 19 yr old was epitome of disinterested and entitled. Clearly it was her mom who had picked up the app! Head-shaker.</p>
<p>Someone mentioned up thread that schools should offer interviewing/etiquette classes. D2’s school does that. Her first 90 minute session was on what to wear and not to wear, how to shake hands and make eye contact, personal hygiene (ish!), and body language. Instructions were given on cut and color of clothes, length of hem of pants, ironed/pressed clothes, hair styles, make up, nail length and color, polished shoes, use of deodorant (!) and perfume/cologne, etc. D2 said they were tough on the guys about polishing shoes, shaving every day, and tightness of suits. Each student is then scheduled for a mock interview that is videotaped. There is a panel that then critiques the interview with the student. Some of her friends thought it was awful and some thought it was beneficial. Interesting process.</p>
<p>1) Do not tweet about your company.
2) Do not send personal pictures to friends at work, especially if you are in a bathing suit, no matter how nice the beach looks.
3) If you are on a business trip, do not pick up a hitch hiker, especially if you are going to pick up your boss on the way.
4) Do not have pictures taken with protesters (for or against your company, your industry). If you do, make sure it is not on the front page.
5) When going out with your boss, don’t drink more than your boss and then start writing business emails to clients.
6) Don’t ask your boss about your colleague’s sexual orientation.
7) Don’t wear shorts and boots(over knees) to work.</p>
<p>My kids worked as counselors at residential camps & its true that they arent paid much, but it was a wonderful experience for both of them. However after a few years of it they both had to sadly find summer work elsewhere that paid better & allowed them to take summer courses.</p>
<p>The whole job search and interview process needs to be looked at from top to bottom as well as the laws and rules and regulations over the process.</p>
<p>Now, my S walks into a store and they just say he needs to go online and he may get a call. He never gets a call. I had my first job at 10yo. He got his first job at 19. I took him around for days looking everywhere around for work. Nothing. He went out on his own on many days. Nothing. He got a job because he’s a handsome, 6’1" kid with a thin, athletic build and a huge smile. Abercrombie and Fitch recruited when someone saw him shopping at another store.</p>
<p>I’m really bitter about it. I don’t blame the businesses. I blame an environment that discriminates against the young.<br>
The environment pre judges the young as lazy, Internet-obsessed.
They are pre-judged as unprepared for the workplace.
They are squeezed out in favor of illegal immigrants and now, retired old people.
They are coddled by parents and given too much.
They are forced into a system with adult rules which excludes them from many entry level jobs (min wages too high, expensive job training, over time rules, etc.). It makes them too expensive and not worth it to hire).
They are forced to apply online, never seen or spoken with a manager, they never get to disprove any of the prejudices against them.
A few bad apples have spoiled it for them.
Threats of lawsuits and government action to make all internships paid or to force employers to provide health benefits or restrictions on what a 17yo can do vs an 18yo. It’s ridiculous.
Employers with a 1970s or 80s or 90s mindset that don’t understand today’s young people. They just don’t get each other. Employers use technology all wrong (relying either too much or too little on it), demand experience for entry level jobs (oxymoronic), expect kids to jump up and down with excitement at the prospect of working while their friends are going to movies and beach parties, expect obedience to authority figures when few kids held to that standard by schools and parents, expect kids to know without being taught.
Kids need coaches, mentors, teachers and leaders. Too many employers want an 18-25yo finished product at the date of hiring. Nobody see the diamonds in the rough anymore. Very few employers look at a kid, see some talent and think about how they can make them into a great employee. Nope. You gotta be ready, set, go from day 1.</p>
<p>I had a parent of a 30 something get all nuts when she called our office and her “child” was out to lunch. She couldn’t reach said child on cell phone either. She was really a nut, and as I understood it, there was no emergency. Her hysteria at not being able to reach child was distracting our receptionist from our business. The receptionist went so far as to inform me that X’s mother was looking for X. Get a life lady.</p>
I meet with the 20 somethings 1:1 on a regular basis to do coaching. Most of them are eager to learn and they catch on fast if guided. But I am surprised that some of their parents never had some of those discussions with them at home.</p>
<p>Madabout, I’ve worked at non-family jobs since I was 16 (worked with my dad before that). I’m now 22 and have never had an issue getting a job despite living in a very hard-hit area economically. I’m sorry you’re bitter about it, but I’ve never experienced anything you’re describing. I’ve found that when employers find capable young people, they’re quite happy. JME</p>
<p>I can say the real source of my frustration derives from constantly feeling like the stupid parent for not coddling my kids. </p>
<p>My S works so hard, is honest, humble and talented but he is not perfect. He didn’t go to every employer in the best clothes or always say the right thing. He was looking for his first job so of course he was going to make mistakes and learn as he went along.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, I always feel like the stupid parent. I let my son build and decorate his own box car when he was cub scouts. I was the stupid parent because when we showed up all these kids had these amazing looking cars with dads that wouldn’t even let their sons touch them. I let him do his own science project for the science fair. Again, way too many kids had these projects looking way too advanced for middle school kids.</p>
<p>There is a competition to coddle and be overprotective because your kid will lose out in different things if you don’t when they are kids. Long term, coddled kids will lose out as adults.</p>
<p>Don’t most schools provide mock interviews, etiquette, formal dining services? Son’s school offered this stuff and it’s just a lower-tier public. Are the parents not around?</p>
<p>Me too. I find it fun sharing workplace skills with my kids and we get to share workplace stories too.</p>
<p>It’s a lot easier today because there’s a lot of free instruction on YouTube and other sites like Monster on dress, how to prepare, what to say, what not to say, etc. There are videos with sample interviews where they go over what was good and bad after the interview - and this stuff looks professionally done.</p>
<p>Yep, I had two high school students come in to talk about electrical requirements for an experiment they were running. Student one came in prepared and brought notes. Student two spent the time texting and websurfing. I am not a patient person and sent a nasty note to the teacher that helped them set up the meeting.</p>
<p>My 18 y.o. son had kind of the opposite problem; managers said they would call and never did, said they would send things in the mail, told him to come back then were surprised and unprepared when he did. He has gotten both his jobs basically by being a pest and checking back with them every couple of days until he gets a straight answer.</p>
<p>My husband thought that it was necessary to tell son that he should not type on his computer during his upcoming Skype interview. Son was rightfully indignant that his dad would think that he needed that reminder. Son was somewhat rude during our last phone call, so Dad was justified. On the other hand, I was happy that the first thing that he did when he arrived back from a 5 day trip was to call his parents so a quick message to his R.A. to let him know that he was back wasn’t too bad, as long as he knows not to do that during an interview.</p>
<p>I have CC to thank for the Skype interview. When the potential employer emailed my son to ask when he would be back in the U.S. and available for an interview, son suggested Skype (after I had suggested it to him). Son must have listened to his dad’s advice; he was offered a summer position.</p>