Parents applying for jobs for their children!

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I've advertised a small job for my business. It's quite a fun role, and we have had a lot of interest. However, the number of responses I have received from parents regarding their adult children has been shocking. I'm talking 22-25 year olds! Please don't get me wrong; I suspect many of them are possibly ND, which is excellent. There are no issues there, and it would probably suit us better, but even still, there were options to text, call, email, etc. I suspect my mum probably did the same when I was 16, but at 22 I was married.

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. Maybe I'm unreasonable but I don't think I am to expect the applicant to reach out not their mothers.

me too.

Having parents who support is definitely an asset. I work with a number of young people and on the whole, the successful ones have had good input & support from their parents.

They turn up to interview looking smart, arrive at work on time, talk to people, share their ideas and get stuff done. I'm not daft, I can tell that their parents may have helped with CVs, but they are on their own at interview and once they start in post.

I can't imagine how parents that overstep think they are helping.

Kids are too pampered now in general.

If this is such a common experience I think it shows that something is badly wrong with our education system. Too much spoon feeding and tick box teaching and not enough thinking for themselves.

Also, prolific use of tech makes an enormous difference. Children are constantly learning on-line but not in reality.

That IS odd if they are early to mid 20s! My DD was in a full time job/career and living with her partner by then, paying their own bills, earning their own money, sorting their own shit out! I'm embarrassed for anyone of 23-25 who is getting mummy to apply for jobs for them.!

When this happens where I work we rule them out straight away. If they can't even apply for the job themselves I can't imagine they'd be any good at working.

What’s even worse is when they have the job and the parents of 16/17/18+ year olds want to call in sick for them or discuss the job instead of them doing it themselves

Like no, I won’t talk to you about your kid’s job. And no, it doesn’t count that you called in sick for them. It will go down as a no show.

I'm not sure the education system is to blame for this.

I think a lot of parents just fall into the habit of doing too much for their kids nowadays.

When you think about years ago, it was quite common for kids to be walking themselves to school from an early age, learning to cook/make cups of tea/use the washing machine/use an iron/vacuum and mop etc in primary school.

But it's really nowhere near as common anymore and I think some parents take it to the next level, with job applications etc.

Somewhere the middle ground has gone missing.

Anyone who can’t apply for the job themselves isn’t going to be capable of doing the job themselves. Or were they intending to bring Mummy in to answer the phone for them?

Nope. They get filed in the bin along with people who didn’t read the job description properly and those who didn’t spell check their CV/application.

I am ND (autism) and I know everyone has different support needs but I have to say I can see a real difference in my ND friends who’s parents do everything for them and those who don’t. I have a lot of autistic friends since we seem to just attract one another and some of them have this weird learned helplessness. I won’t lie, for my first few jobs my mum helped me with the application and what to say in my CV/ cover letter, but she would never have applied for me. Also if you are applying on your child’s behalf, why not just… lie about it? Surly that would be better.

No. This is a lack of parenting.

They haven’t brought up independent, well rounded children who can cope in the world on their own. So quite frankly, they have failed at their most important role in life.

Meh it doesn't bother me. I applied for my 18 year old to a Facebook request but that's because its Facebook which no youngster uses anymore. After initial contact its on them.

You are not being unreasonable. Graduate ds applied and got his own job, I did look over his CV at his request and do some of the job hunting on line, then forwarded the adverts to him , that's all. He was knee deep in his ddissertation so it helped. Dd 17 looking for jobs, I'm helping with the odd application and CV but she's doing all the contact after discussion on what to say/ ask. Parents do need to step back

No, it's on them if they're serious about wanting to work, to take 3 or 4 minutes to open a Facebook account and then ask around local groups.

As soon as I see Mummy or Daddy asking for jobs for their kids, it makes me think they're being strong-armed into it and they're really not going to make willing workers.

This makes me cringe as hard as the recent thread on parents taking their children to university open days.

It’s about whether it bothers recruiters, not parents though.

If your child can’t be bothered to open a FB account on the basis that “no youngster” has an account these days then don’t be surprised when a recruiter can’t be bothered to consider them or an employer can’t be bothered to employ them.

It’s not about whether it bothers you.

Tbf sometimes they need parents to drive to uni open days... pay for hotel's & food

Yes I was going to say similar, it's the kind if thing my controlling, over bearing, nightmare of a mother used to do to me. Highly embarrassing for me as I was perfectly capable of doing things myself and often she would give incorrect information or even pretend to be me on the phone.

But my children have jobs so what does it matter at the end of the day? Jesus the "I had five jobs and a house by 15" lot are rampant today.

Some children need more assistance than others especially on entering the job market and quite a lot of jobs are word of mouth through contacts - friends and family.

Assistance to open a Facebook account (if they really need it) is fine.

That's not going to put employers off because they'd never know.

Asking for a job for your child in your own account, makes your DC look as though they can't be bothered, or they're under duress to get a job.

There's nothing wrong with parents helping out. Everyone does it. I'm sure a lot of the very wealthy network and help their kids get a foot in thorough the door using their contacts.
Just don't apply in their behalf.

There's no way parents are generally applying for jobs for 22 year olds and if they helped them out they would certainly be hiding it unless they are stupid. The fact that parents are openly directly contacting you suggests to me that there is something about the job that makes it seem suitable for people with learning difficulties.

I seems to be the middle aged that have the problem rather than the youth of today if they aren't even hiding the fact that they are doing the work for their adult child jobs. How stupid/naive would you need to be to think that is appropriate.

Thank god for that.

From what I have seen being in work offers you much more protection than school could ever do