More than half (55.2 per cent) of young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 have their parents help them with a job application, 57 per cent admit that their parents have helped them to write their CV. This is according to new research from independent job board, CV-Library.
The research sought to explore the trend of ‘helicopter parents’ – a parent who takes an overprotective or excessive interest in the life of their children – finds that job hunters are increasingly reliant on their parents to help them throughout their career. In fact, the findings reveal how the following age groups feel about parents’ involvement during their working life.
Parents to the rescue!
Nearly half (45.7 per cent) of under 18s have had their parents help them with a job application, while 6.5 per cent admit to taking their parents to a job interview with them.
A further 21.3 per cent of those aged 35 and above also rely on their parents for help.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, comments, ‘The helicopter parent trend has taken over in recent years and it’s fascinating to hear how the younger generation are increasingly reliant on their parents to help them throughout their careers. Looking for a job can be stressful, especially for those fresh out of school or University, who may have less experience when it comes to interviewing.
‘It’s therefore not overly surprising to hear that many job hunters are afraid to go at it alone and it’s clear that more support might be needed online to help youngsters find work, and give them the confidence to embark on a happy and rewarding job hunt.’
Furthermore, the study finds that 16.7 per cent of 18-34 year olds have had their parents call in sick to work on their behalf, while 7.4 per cent even rely on their parents to deal with their boss for them, e.g. asking for a promotion, a pay rise, time off etc. Interestingly, a further 7 per cent have gone as far as taking their parents along to a job interview.
A quarter (27.7 per cent) of this age group think businesses should make allowances for candidates who bring their parents to an interview with them, nearly two thirds (60.5 per cent) state that if they were in charge of hiring, they would hire someone who brought their parents to an interview.
Biggins continues, ‘While it’s inevitable that candidates will ask for advice from their family during the recruitment process, the fact that many are using their parents to get involved with some of the difficult conversations, or meetings, is worrying.
‘Nerves can get the better of even the most confident of people, but it is best for candidates to try and brave interviews by themselves, as this will help them to come across as a more mature, professional, individual to prospective employers.’
While the majority of UK workers (72.1 per cent) think that parents should not get involved in their child’s career, 45.6 per cent of employees aged 18-34 think it is acceptable, followed by 30.7 per cent of 35-44 year olds.
That said, the majority of UK workers (84.9 per cent) believe that it’s unprofessional for employees to involve their parent in their working lives.
Biggins concludes, ‘All in all, any parent will want to help out where possible when it comes to their children’s careers, but it’s important to get the balance right.’
Further reading on job searches
