Contrary to popular belief, parental guidance doesn’t end at graduation. Now that your student has a diploma in hand, he/she is off and running on one of their biggest challenges yet: landing a career-making job.
You can help — after all, their employment is in your interest, too! Here’s how, using a simple ‘Countdown to Success,’ you can contribute without being overbearing.
5) Breathe: At the very least, a diploma ought to earn its recipient a chance to take a deep breath and relax. Allow your graduate a chance to clear his/her head and prepare — body, soul and mind — for the next big adventure: gainful employment. A little perspective may also help to make sure your grad is not focused on not just any job, but the right job.
4) Research: All of the effort that went into term papers and final projects should now go into studying industries and organizations of interest. This is homework not just for recent graduates, but parents,too.
Dig into everything that seems pertinent to your grad’s career goals and, importantly, talk about all this with your grad. Part of the goal here is to improve fluency in relevant industry issues, trends etc., which leads to our next countdown items …
3) Network: As a bona fide grown up, your circles are probably more populated than your child’s. Use ‘social capital’ to create or uncover opportunities. At the same time, bring your budding professional into the virtuous circle of networking by encouraging them to tap the resources of the college’s career counselors and to make the most of alumni associations.
2) Rehearse: While a diploma certifies a certain level of knowledge and skill, it does not guarantee poise, grace or executive presence. This comes only with practice. .
Practice for job interviews and other make-or-break social opportunities, from being able to talk smoothly about industries of interest to how to tout personal strengths without sounding boastful (this includes maintaining an up-to-date portfolio). Also, school your grad in the fine art of business protocol, including sending an e-mail thank you within 24 hours from your meeting. .
1) Negotiate: You’ve put in the hard work of raising them from infancy, so don’t send your grads into job negotiations like babes in the woods. Their impulse may be to take whatever they’re offered. Tactfully asking questions about items like parking and insurance can establish your grads in the minds of prospective employers as particularly sharp young people worth grooming.
In some cases, your grad may be offered an unpaid internship. Hold tight to the hard earned value of your diploma! An unpaid internship is probably worthwhile only if it’s finite and will culminate with a hire.
And following that countdown, with any luck there’s ignition and blast off.
Good luck, grads (and parents)!
