Helicopter parents land the interview

I would love to work with you.
Sincerely,
The applicant’s mom

You could say that helicopter parents have reached a new high, but it seems to be a low point for first time job seekers.

The Adecco Group North America’s 2012 graduation survey said, “these grads have a secure understanding of who they are and what they want -- and they aren’t willing to compromise.”

However, that statement does not mention how the grads are going to get the job they want. According to the survey of more than 500 recent college graduates, nearly a third answered “that their parents are in some way involved in their job search process -- in some cases, very involved.

There were some expected responses, such as 13% of respondents using their parents’ personal networks to look for jobs, and nearly one in 10 rehearse for interviews with a parent.

Lower -- but still significant -- percentages revealed less anticipated results. Some parents doubled as ghostwriters, with 7% crafting the resume or cover letter of the recent graduate and 1% write thank-you notes to the potential employer. Considering the small sample size, the five people that responded this way still feels like too many.

Steve Kasmouski, a managing director at Winter, Wyman, a Northeast staffing firm, said too involved parents have “become more of an issue recently.”

“I’m not surprised by it,” Kasmouski said. “It’s a trend we have seen. Each generation is doing more for their children.”

Other students notice, too. Bryce Fallon, a senior at Emerson College in Boston, worked in the school’s Student Service Center where people fill out financial aid forms.

“I’ve seen kids that don’t know what they’re doing,” said Fallon. He said there were instances where students would call their parents while filling out forms to ask: “‘Am I single? Is that what I am?’” or “‘Am I a dependent? What’s that?’”

The Associated Press reported last month that more than half of graduates under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed.

Though this survey calls into question whether some applicants are qualified for the positions they seek, Fallon said. According to the survey, 8% of recent graduates replied that a parent has gone with them to the interview, and 3% of the respondents’ parents joined the actual interview.

“It’s a red flag to employers if you can’t even do your own job interview,” Fallon said. “Employers want someone reliable.”

Hovering parents do so because they want their children to do well. It’s easier said than done to turn down help, but help is very different from someone else writing a cover letter for you. Now what?

“It’s in the children’s best interest to make these decisions on their own,” Kasmouski said. “You’re never going to get in between a child or parent, but the parent should only offer perspective. It’s important that the applicants distill all information, advice from parents and make a decision based on that opportunity.”

Fallon’s mother told him when he was younger that he needed to go through the job process on his own, and he recommended that others do the same.

“The job market’s not good right now,” Fallon said. “So if you start kids applying on their own at a younger age, they would be better off than applicants who need to constantly consult their parents.”

If you want to talk to your parents before accepting a position, you don’t have to mention the reason why you will not immediately accept.

Fallon suggests simply saying: “Give me a day to think it over.”

Christina Reinwald is a Summer 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.