Job Hunting: Five Ways to Help Your Graduate

picture of four college graduates taking a selfie

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Job hunting is hard, and no one job — healthcare worker, computer geek, engineer or Uber driver — is suitable for everyone. Maybe your child graduated with a specific degree or is predisposed to a particular career field. Perhaps they simply want a career that isn’t too stressful, offers a flexible work environment or pays well. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to get hired, especially when dozens (or even hundreds) of equally qualified applicants are all vying for the same position.

As a parent or grandparent, you can help your graduate navigate the job market. Here are five ways to support them in their job search, starting with sitting down and having a conversation.

1. Have a candid conversation about job hunting

Shortly after graduating, it's important to have a candid conversation about the current job market and your child's career goals. It makes sense that most grads want jobs in their degree field. However, when just starting out, that may not be possible. By discussing their expectations, the demand for jobs in a specific field, and the application process, you can provide valuable guidance to get them moving in the right direction.

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2. Acknowledge aspirations versus reality

A federal survey released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statists (BLS) revealed that total job openings had slowed to a three-year low in March. Although employers added 175,000 jobs in April, those numbers are below what many analysts expected.

Not all industries are hiring. However, healthcare, retail, wholesale, transportation and warehousing are all seeing gains. If your graduate earned a degree in a field with few job openings, you may need to steer them in another direction for a short time, even if it's outside their immediate area of interest. They will gain work experience, which will look good on their resume and set them up for future success.

3. Offer resume help

Many graduates struggle with creating professional-sounding resumes. As a parent or grandparent who has likely written resumes before, your experience can help them craft a quality resume highlighting their education, skills, and relevant experience, setting them apart from other applicants.

They may ask a friend or roommate for copies of their resumes, but often, these samples are not focused on a specific job and don’t align with their education or skill set. Since your grad may lack job experience, suggest they highlight their education. They may also have completed an internship, volunteered, or worked part-time. It’s not unusual for your child to miss a critical skill or accomplishment relevant to a position, which you can suggest they add.

Creating a beautifully crafted resume is no longer enough to land many jobs. With the advent of AI resume screeners, applicants must learn the tricks to help them make the first cut.

4. Help them explore their options

Post-graduation, encourage your graduate to explore all their options. That may include entering the workforce right away, volunteering for a time, pursuing further education, or relocating to another part of the country or another part of the world. Considering all their options after graduation allows your graduate to decide what’s best for them based on their degree and interests, rather than choosing a path based on what they think is expected.

5. Assist with a LinkedIn profile

More than 30% of all job listings posted on LinkedIn, a social networking website for people in professional occupations, are for entry-level positions, meaning many of these jobs apply to someone with little or no work experience. LinkedIn is also a great place to network with other percent grads.

Building a strong LinkedIn profile helps your graduate stand out to potential employers. You can help by providing guidance on creating a professional profile and leveraging the platform for job opportunities. Since this can be overwhelming, you can also help by offering clear directions, finding similar profile examples on the site and highlighting ways they, as an individual, can stand out.

Best of all? You can connect your own LinkedIn profile with your graduate's profile to instantly expand their network. Even if you have worked in a different field, the more people your graduate can ask for help, the better.

Key insights

In the past month, “Why is it so hard to find a job?” has been a popular search phrase trending in the U.S.
There has been a 235% increase in search interest for “How to use AI to write a resume” over the past year, and “AI for interview prep” has been a breakout search over the past month in the U.S.
Search interest for “online university” is up by 115%, making it a top trending topic for “career growth” over the past year in the U.S.
The search term “promotion” is currently at an all-time high in the U.S., and “dry promotion” (which comes with more responsibilities, a new title but no raise) has been a top trending related search over the past year.

For the past 18+ years, Kathryn has highlighted the humanity in personal finance by shaping stories that identify the opportunities and obstacles in managing a person's finances. All the same, she’ll jump on other equally important topics if needed. Kathryn graduated with a degree in Journalism and lives in Duluth, Minnesota. She joined Kiplinger in 2023 as a contributor.