So Your Teen Wants a Summer Job—How Much Should Parents Step In to Help?

Before I could even start to badger my 15-year-old about getting a job this summer, she had already come to me saying she wanted to work. Gotta love that initiative, I thought. Except, the truth is that from there, she had no idea what to do.

I couldn’t help but think back to when I was 15, ready for my first job. My mom knew the pharmacist in our town and asked if he was hiring. She took me over to his store and hung out among the echinacea and acidophilus while he asked me some questions that I suppose constituted an interview. 

Flash forward to today, and here I am helping my daughter navigate landing her first job. I’m far from alone. As I texted friends with same-aged kids and emailed a few contacts, I came across a study finding that 70% of Gen Zers ask their moms and dads to help them in the job search process.

Gen Zers Turn to Their Parents For Help

The survey, conducted by ResumeTemplates.com, looked at responses from 1,428 “kids,” ages 18 to 27, who had looked for employment within the past year. Among the more interesting findings was that 25% of Gen Z job seekers actually brought their parents to interviews!

But that’s not all—the generation that some say can be a bit lazy is also asking parents for help writing resumes, and submitting job applications. As many as 36% of respondents even have their parents interface with hiring managers.

And, ahem, I’ll admit to sending a few emails in this vein. A hiring manager actually asked that my daughter take it from there (oops!), which she did. She has an interview coming up, and no, I won’t be attending. Although she needs a ride there, I’ll wait in the car.

Indeed, I’m learning it can be hard to know where to draw the line between helping your teen navigate getting that first job, and pushing them to do it themselves. Apparently for many parents, stepping aside in subsequent years doesn’t feel natural either. Of course, every child is different, as are family dynamics. 

“The number of employment opportunities and complexity of the job market are factors causing Gen Zers to seek parental help,” says ResumeTemplates’ Executive Resume Writer Andrew Stoner in the article about the results. “Knowing what a company does, verifying its legitimacy, and understanding what a specific job entails are tasks that can be challenging for someone without any formal work experience.”

He goes on to say, “A parent’s help should bolster a child’s development and eventual independence.”

Parents Should Be Guiding Their Kids

I turned to some experts for advice on finding the right balance between helping and overdoing it.

“I would start by doing mock interviews with them,” says Shari Bossmann, a high school CTE CNA Instructor and Program Coordinator for the online public school, Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA).

“Do not attend the interview with your teen,” Bossmann adds, “If you attend an interview, an employer may think the teen is not independent and can’t function as a professional.”

When it comes to creating a resume, Bossmann says it’s OK to review your teen’s work, but parents shouldn’t write the document themselves. She also advises that your child communicates with hiring managers directly via email or phone instead of parents doing it, which can be a turnoff. 

“Set clear expectations and offer advice, but let them make the final decisions and learn from the process,” says Katie Burns, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor and Former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at MIT.

You want to be a resource and a coach—but not take over.

“As hard as it is, let them make mistakes and fail,” Burns says. “This will help them build skills for the future, provide them resilience, and make them a better person ultimately.” 

Yes, your teen will make mistakes in the job search and interview process, but that’s all part of learning—and remember, we’ve all been there! It’s those defining experiences that help people grow. Of course, it’s hard to let go and turn our kids loose into the world, especially if they are anxious about job hunting and interviewing.

Burns offers these tips for teens who feel trepidation:

• Be prepared!
• Practice common interview questions.
• Start with low-pressure environments such as volunteering or an internship.
• Remember, it’s normal to feel nervous.

Finally, Burns says to keep in mind that rejection happens to us all. It’s what we do with it that shapes our futures.