We've all read about "helicopter" parents, whose interfering, hovering attitude can mess up their children's college experience. Well, it turns out for some overbearing parents, the meddling doesn't stop at graduation.

A new study from temporary-staffing firm OfficeTeam recently found pushy parents are micromanaging their young-adults' job searches, too.

job interview

Among the anecdotes the OfficeTeam study team reported:

  • Requests from parents to sit in on his grad's job interview.
  • Parents who submit their children's resumes on their behalf.
  • Calls to employers during job interviews from parents push for their child to be hired.
  • Parents who call to check up on the status of their child's application.
  • Follow-up calls after an interview to check up on how the new grad did.

While I haven't done any of these things, the study hit home for me, as my teen is currently struggling to find a summer job before entering college in the fall. It's one of the worst hiring markets for young workers in a long time.

The OfficeTeam study also suggests some more positive ways parents can be involved in helping their student or new grad find a job. My favorite tips:

Teach them to network. Referrals are still one of the best ways to find work.

Play boss and conduct mock interviews. If they're interviewing but not getting hired, maybe you can help them refine their presentation.

Review their tools. Could their resume use a little more polish? Maybe you could scour it for typos, making sure all the information is accurate and presented in a compelling way. There are also fun new ways to present your job history such as trading-card style business cards that include scannable QR codes that can link recipients with a smartphone to more information online.

Are you helping your student or new grad look for work? Leave a comment and let us know how you help without hovering.

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons - bpsusf