Please Don’t Bring Your Parents to Your Job Interview

Now, some firms have begun embracing parental involvement and using it to attract and hold onto talent and boost employee morale. One of them is Northwestern Mutual. Michael Van Grinsven, field-growth and development director at the Milwaukee-based financial firm, says the company does everything it can to accommodate the parents of college-aged interns, including regularly inviting them to the office for open houses.

“It’s become best practice,” Mr. Van Grinsven says, noting that parents can influence their children’s career decisions. Some Northwestern Mutual managers call or send notes to parents when interns achieve their sales goals and let parents come along to interviews and hear details of job offers. They may even visit parents at home.

“The Millennial job interview prospect brings a resume, a crisp suit… and parents,” reads the caption at the top of this Wall Street Journal story. Sorry, but no. Yes, you can talk to your parents and get career advice from them. But you don’t need them to accompany you for job interviews or smell out a place so that they can feel better about your career choice. Live your own life, millennials! Or Joel Stein is going to come after you.

Photo: Nazareth College

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