Human resources workers increasingly complain aboutmillennials showing up unprepared or acting unprofessionally at job interviews. And with 44 percent of millennials underemployed, their parents may actually be more to blame than a weak job market.
Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm, said millennials rely too much on their parents for career support instead of seeking other mentors.
According to his findings, 37 percent of young job seekers cite their parent as their mentor, 28 percent name their professor, 21 percent say their family or friend, and 17 percent say a current or former employer. A mere 1 percent cites someone they've found in an online networking group. (The total exceeds 100 percent because respondents were allowed to select more than one category.)
Schawbel acknowledged that millennials are more likely to use social media and online networking in their job search, but noted 40 percent of students surveyed feel like their reliance on technology has actually hurt their "soft" skills.
Some parents go so far as join their sons or daughters to interviews. CNBC recently reported that in a survey of 22- to 26-year-old college graduates by the Adecco staffing agency, 8 percent reported that a parent had accompanied them on at least one job interview, and 3 percent said a parent actively joined the interview.