You may have heard of the “bank of mum and dad” but a new phenomenon is sweeping through the marketing industry – “the pen of mum and dad” – with a new report claiming almost a third (32.1%) of workers in the marketing sector have had their parents help them with a job application.
So says new research from the independent job board CV-Library, which sought to explore the trend of ‘helicopter parents’ – a parent who takes an overprotective or excessive interest in the life of their children.
It found that job hunters are increasingly reliant on their parents to help them throughout their career and that those who work in marketing are twice as likely as those in other sectors to seek parental help.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, comments: “The helicopter parent trend has taken over in recent years and it’s fascinating to hear how job hunters in the sector are increasingly reliant on their parents to help them throughout their careers. Looking for a job can be stressful, so it’s therefore not overly surprising to hear that many candidates are afraid to go at it alone and it’s clear that more support might be needed online to help them find work, and give them the confidence to embark on a happy and rewarding job hunt.”
Furthermore, the study found that 10.7% of marketing employees have had their parents call in sick to work on their behalf, with 14.3% believing that businesses should make allowances for candidates who bring their parents to an interview with them. In addition, 21.4% stated that if they were in charge of hiring, they would hire someone who brought their parents to an interview.
Biggins continued: “While it’s inevitable that candidates will ask for advice from their family during the recruitment process, the fact that many are using their parents to get involved with some of the difficult conversations, or meetings, is worrying. Nerves can get the better of even the most confident of people, but it is best for candidates to try and brave interviews by themselves, as this will help them to come across as a more mature, professional, individual to prospective employers.”
The majority of UK workers (72.1%) think that parents should not get involved in their child’s career, and this sentiment was echoed by 75% of those working in marketing. Alongside this, 84.9% of workers across the UK believe that it’s unprofessional for employees to involve their parents in their working lives, which was mirrored by 85.7% of marketers..
Biggins concluded: “All in all, any parent will want to help out where possible when it comes to their children’s careers, but it’s important to get the balance right.”
