May 13, 2010

How to help, not hover, over your kids' job search

• 1 Comment |
• E-mail |
• Print
• • Share:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Right on cue with the nice weather, the kids are coming back from college, like the swallows of San Juan Capistrano. Many graduation ceremonies will begin this weekend and will run throughout Seattle in the coming weeks as thousands of young adults embark on their new career paths. More often than not, in this hyper-competitive job market, that path leads in two directions: straight to their parents couches or a U-turn back to graduate school.

With entry-level jobs harder to find than ever right out of college, many young people see a master's degree as a natural next step, but that may not always be the best tactic, says Barbara Cooke, a career counselor and author of a new book, "Parent's Guide to College and Careers: How to Help, Not Hover."

"Even though the word on the street is that a master's degree is the new bachelor's degree, most young people need to figure out an initial career path and get some entry-level work experience before signing on for more student loan debt," Cooke writes in her book, which provides parents with tips on how to prepare their children for the tough choices they will face.

While some jobs are strictly degree-oriented -- particularly jobs in health care, education and social services -- most require relevant work experience to go along with that degree. If your teenager will be coming back home in the next few days and is struggling about what path to follow next, Cooke says there are a few steps parents can take to help guide these kids without dictating what to do.

Discuss what skills they enjoy using most. Encourage these young adults to find out how these skills are used in the economy. Which of those jobs will fit with their values and personality preferences? What additional education or work experience will they need I need to get the job they really want?

Networking -- it's not just for old folks anymore. Today's grads should already be working on establishing a network of contacts, who can be family members, friends, neighbors or even their parents' co-workers. These contacts can provide your child with a wealth of job leads, introductions to hiring managers and advice on resumes.

Determine what values they require for career satisfaction. "Values are how people evaluate the merits or drawbacks of different jobs," Cooke writes. "Values are what make people say 'I'll take the job!' or 'There is no way I would do that for a living!'" Cooke cautions parents to be careful about forcing their own opinions down their kids' throats, as they have not yet had enough life experience to know what they want yet.

Evaluate grad school as an option, not a requirement. After their kids have gone through the above steps and conducted self-assessments, only then should parents start having discussions about grad school. Parents should explain that a master's degree is preparation for a career, but also that not every career requires a degree, Cooke writes.

Parents should encourage their children to do "informational interviews" with people who already have a master's degree in their particular field and discuss the job opportunities that are available before going down that road. "In addition to directing your child to new career ideas, informational interviewing will give your child a more accurate view of the job market," Cooke writes. "This will enable [him or] her to make more informed decisions and you to control college costs."

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

• 1 Comment |
• E-mail |
• Print
• • Share:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Read more
entry-level jobs, interview, networking, training

1 Comments

scholarships for mothers on November 17, 2010 5:56 PM | Reply

My dad has been writing a book precisely on point with this blog, I have emailed him the web address so perhaps he could pick up a couple pointers. Fantastic Job.

thanxx
calendario 2011

Leave a comment

* required field

Your name: *

E-mail address: (Will not be displayed)

Your comment: *

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.