This article was originally written by Amy Leighton and was published on LinkedIn.

The current employment market introduces various challenges to first-time job seekers, many of which seem unable to start their careers immediately after graduation. Parents of these job seekers encounter a tough challenge, as they would want to see their children succeed in their career path. However, most of the time, parents don’t know how to effectively support them. They must recognize the critical role they have whenever they spend some time with their job seeker.
In this newsletter, we will discuss ways for parents to successfully help their child get hired in their first job.
Understand the current hiring landscape. It’s important for parents to realize that the employment scene for early careerists has significantly changed. University students nowadays are far more likely to graduate without a job offer in hand. On-the-job training has also become less common. Today’s junior recruits are generally required to contribute from the beginning of their careers, and a job seeker may need to do further upskilling before they’re even considered for a position. Parents should grasp that the recruiting procedure for senior and executive-level personnel varies substantially from that of individuals just starting out in their careers.
Advise gently. A lack of immediate employment must not be considered a failure by parents. They must be realistic about their hopes for a young adult’s search for work as it may take time to develop the necessary qualifications. A parent must attempt to exercise active listening rather than scolding their job seeker about their next steps. Ask open-ended questions, engage in active discussions, and resist the impulse to take control of the job search. Understand that a parent’s role in this phase is not to solve the problem. Above all, parents should attempt to inspire and communicate with their adult children, especially since disappointment is an inevitable step in the process, and this can test a young professional’s perseverance.
Take part, but not excessively. It can be beneficial to take a step back and analyze why you are so committed to your adult child’s job search. Communication between the parent and the job seeker is crucial. Since different industries recruit at varied periods of the year, parents may hear about students who have held jobs for months when their own child is still working on their resume. Parents must seek out opportunities to speak with their children about who they have become throughout their undergraduate years, what kind of daily professional life they find appealing, what opportunities are accessible, and from which of them they could fit. It could be very contrary to what the parent had envisioned.
Encourage them to begin early. Perhaps your child would rather take a few months off before starting the career search. However, tell them that getting hired will take time. Encourage your child to take advantage of the resources that are still accessible to them in college, such as networking events, interview programs, and resume assistance. Also, remind them that their instructors may have industry ties, which they might be able to request for while still in school.
Do not perform their job for them. You can’t complete your child’s work for them once they’ve been hired, and the same is true for the job search. Offer to evaluate their cover letter rather than writing it for them. Similarly, while practice interviews and role playing can help your child prepare, arranging or listening in on any meetings with possible employers should be avoided.
Be a pillar of support at all times. Though you should hold your child responsible in their job search, keep in mind that the employment market is competitive, and your child may find it difficult to find work, especially if their friends do. Pay close attention to any indicators of anxiety.