Father (or Mother) Knows Best?

While working with one of my clients (a mid-size, high-growth, public consulting firm), they startled me when they told me they had parents come to one of their recent sell days. For those of you who aren’t familiar, “sell days” are when a company hosts candidates who have already received job offers from the company and tries to “sell” them on the value of the firm.
As a recruiter and hiring manager, I never dealt with parents unless they were my own. Even with new college graduates or the under-25 set. Is this a new phenomenon? Are new graduates or young professionals fully involving their parents in the decision-making process?
Finding the right job is important–there is no doubt. And for new college students or college graduates, parents can serve as sounding boards and a shoulder to cry on if needed. Most universities encourage parents to be involved. In fact, at MIT orientation, parents were encouraged to “Promote the value of practical experience in building competencies and making informed career decisions”. But should they make the decisions for you?
Are you involving your parents in your job decisions? And if so, to what extent?
I guess the big question is: are parents really able to make the best decision for you? Or, are they hoping you’ll follow in their shoes (or perhaps the ones they wish they’d worn)? Perhaps it’s the fear factor instead.
– Susan Strayer is an HR and business professional, and former recruiter and hiring manager who has worked with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of The Right Job, Right Now due out in December 2006 from St. Martin’s Press.