Good news! My daughter is graduating from college on time, and she has a job! Bad news: She is making her parents look really bad. It took her dad five years to graduate and her mom an entire year to find a ‘real job.’ Now, I’ve always justified my situation by saying that I entered the job market during a horrible recession, and I was not great at interviewing (think flop sweat). Since my husband does not write this column, you can think what you want as to why it took him five years to graduate. Everything worked out just as it should for us, but I swore then that if I ever knew of anyone who needed help with a career search, I would step in. And, my fellow readers, this is where I recruit you to do the same!
If they ask, meet them for coffee. I know, I know, you are a very important person who barely has time to get your hair cut, but just do it. I cannot tell you how many people I’ve asked to meet with a niece, nephew, son or daughter. I have never been turned down. (To be clear, no blackmail was used.) Perhaps these kids simply drop by your office for a quick meeting after they contact you. Maybe all that comes of the meeting is a suggestion about their résumé, a tip about a firm that is hiring or a ‘hang in there.’ But those 30 minutes you take keep them moving forward. And every once in awhile, you might find one you want to hire. Oh, and no one can beat me at the ‘I am too busy’ game. During my days of self-importance, I had two kids at two different schools, worked full-time managing I don’t remember how many people, traveled extensively, had no household help, slept five hours a night and still managed to find time to meet with anyone who asked me. (I also was really mean, yelled a lot, broke a few phones and had a bad case of road rage.)
Parents, it is time to use your friends. This is the one issue that seems to be a bit controversial. I get asked to have coffee by people who read my column and think I am a writer. I am a fake writer. I spent my career in the financial services industry. So as they try to hide their disappointment that I can’t help them land a career as a writer, I start asking them about their families. Inevitably, they rattle off a few people their parents know who are in their desired industry. I ask them if they have contacted these very ‘warm’ leads, and they often say their parents are concerned it would be awkward. I then ask if their parents would invite those friends over for dinner or ask them for Cardinals tickets. You know where this is going. Parents, help your kids. It is a simple phone call. Or even a text. “Can Mike call you about his job search?” Unless the person is horrible (and then you should drop him as a friend), the answer is always yes.
Encourage your kids to go to networking events. These are usually awful. The chit-chat is stilted, but there are hidden gems to be found, like people who aren’t helpful now but will be in a few years. And there always will be the shared experience of eating celery and drinking bad wine together.
Most people rely on the Internet to find a job, but the better positions require a personal connection. So here is my plea: If someone needs a helping hand, just do it!