#Why do youngsters keep crying to their parents for career help?

A “mommy” wrote into your column because her son got arrested and while eventually all charges were dropped, he’s still having trouble finding a job. What gets me is why is his “mommy” involved? This is a BIG problem with these millennials. What’s this guy going to do if he gets reprimanded at a job? Call mommy?

You are talking to a guy who still cuts the crust off of his 16-year-old daughter’s PB&J sandwiches, so I can’t say that I completely agree with you! Now, could the young man have reached out to me directly? Sure. But this is no different than parents leveraging their network to help their kids land interviews or find jobs, which almost every parent does and has always done. There’s nothing wrong with that. When it becomes a problem is if the kids aren’t putting in maximum effort and are just relying on their parents. I say, keep up the support, provided it is along with your child’s total effort.

My son just graduated with a degree in computer information systems and a GPA of 3.99. He has spoken with the career center at his college, they’ve approved his resume and say he excelled at the mock interview. But, he’s been looking for a job since December with no luck. He’s getting down due to the lack of progress. I understand his degree is in high demand, he’s smart, hard-working, and very personable, but needs a chance to prove himself. Any advice?

Fear not, dad — it’s going to work out for your son. Junior will be out of the house and off dad’s payroll soon enough (although be prepared for the emotion when he does finally leave the nest). It’s been a funky job market with COVID — hiring is robust, but still competitive and less traditional than usual. The one thing he can’t do is get down or concerned. He just graduated, so it’s too soon to stress. With any luck he’s got the next 40-plus years of working to stress out. It can take a while to find that first job, so don’t assume that anything is wrong. He should also use the career center of his school to network. They have employer relationships and access to alumni who are usually open to informational interviews.

Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive and is dedicated to helping New Yorkers get back to work. E-mail your questions to [email protected]. Follow Greg on Twitter: @greggiangrande and at GoToGreg.com.