For the last two years, I've spent my working life recruiting "fresh blood" into public accounting. I've spent countless hours on college campuses talking to students and recent grads about where they want to start their careers. I've also spent countless hours with leadership diving into generational differences. I'd like to think I'm still in tune with the happenings on campus - I'm not that far removed from my graduation date - am I???
But it's phone calls like this that reminds me my patience is growing thin with this next generation of kids.
I got this call late Friday. I had already left for the day and the message went like this: "My son is looking for an internship and he said he didn't have time to figure it out so I just told him I'd do it. Can you please call me back so we can get this figured out?" DIRECT QUOTE.
I'm sure as you read this your jaw dropped. I mean - my girlfriend's text about it was OMG. OMFG.
Yup. But it gets better - I can't count on one hand the number of times I've gotten phone calls or emails like this. LET ME REPEAT. I get phone calls and emails from parents regarding their children (ages 19-21) about getting them a job.
Sure, sometimes the calls are from clients or contacts in the business community. Everyone knows someone right? Those calls I don't mind. It's the cold calls from parents following up on the status of applications, just trying to help out, want to check-in and make sure everything has been completed - you imagine it, I've probably heard it.
Gosh, this would be a great book subject.
I digress. Here's my point: This isn't helping our kids. Not in the short-term and definitely not in the long-term.
Sure, I relied on my parents for advice during my college years. Dad - remember when I said I wanted to be a photographer for a living and you also encouraged me to get a business degree? Thank goodness for that...there'd be no #lifeonthethornapple. I cannot imagine either of my parents picking up the phone and calling a recruiter because I didn't have time. My mother would tell me to get off Netflix and find the freaking time. Oh wait - Netflix streaming has only been around 10 years - oye - regardless, she wouldn't be doing it.
I'm no expert in raising a child, especially an adult child. But I know the kind of adult I want my girls to be when they grow up - they can't be assholes and they must be confident and independent. And to get there, we have to let them struggle. Just a little. Even now when they are young. Instant gratification for our littles is only going to get worse. So let them go a tiny bit. See what they can do. And for heaven's sake - make them call their own recruiter.
