Internship-seekers benefit from parent networking

NEW YORK (AP) - Internships have become basic to building resumes and careers. With today's parents doing more than ever for their children, it's not unusual for young internship-seekers to get some networking help from mom and dad. Some parents are even paying for career coaching and internship placement.

Not everyone thinks that's a good idea. Susan Smith Kuczmarski says she and her husband "have never used our Rolodex" to help their three sons, the youngest of whom is in college.

"They shouldn't have the viewpoint that mom and dad are going to help them," said Kuczmarski, author of "The Sacred Flight of the Teenager: A Parent's Guide to Stepping Back and Letting Go." "They should find the job on their own, just like the whole world does. It's fine to coach them about the interview, but they have to take the lead in the whole process."

Yet many successful adults acknowledge that their first break, a generation ago, began with a phone call from a parent.

"For my first foray into PR, my mom called my pediatrician, whose wife worked for a local agency, and I got an internship as a result," said Stacey Udell, who has worked in public relations since 1988 and is now an executive with Sandy Hillman Communications, based in Baltimore.

"Hasn't it always been about connections?" said Jane Covner of Sherman Oaks, Calif. When Covner's son needed an internship as a college junior, she called a friend with a contact at a film and TV studio. Her friend told the contact about Covner's son; her son followed up and got the internship.

"It was my call that made it happen," Covner said, but "it was his resume and qualifications that ultimately got him the internship."

That's a key distinction, according to Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio, a career services expert at Vault.com, a career management and job search information Web site.

"There are helicopter parents who want to swoop in and do everything for their kids and that doesn't help them," Thanasoulis-Cerrachio said. "You have to know where to draw the line."

Thanasoulis-Cerrachio says it's fine for parents to help kids make connections. "That doesn't mean they tell their child, 'My friend has an internship for you, call them, it's a done deal,'" she said.

She says parents can start the process by simply telling people they know, "I'm not in any way, shape or form asking you for a job, but do you think you could have an informational interview with my son or daughter to talk about your career?"

Next, said Tom Dezell, author of a book called "Networking for the Novice, Nervous or Naive Job Seeker," the internship-seeker should follow up with a call, saying, "My mom or dad suggested I call you. I wonder if I could meet you."

Dezell says there's no doubt that "the most likely way to find jobs is through reaching out to connections."

Thanasoulis-Cerrachio said parents can help kids prepare for interviews by making sure they have a list of questions: "How did you get started, what trends do you see, what advice do you have for me if I want to get into this business?"

And you don't have to be a well-connected professional in your child's chosen field to network successfully. Consider reaching out to neighbors, organizations you belong to, your house of worship, stores and restaurants you patronize, extended family, people you work with, and anyone you might know from teams, school groups or local fundraising efforts.

Some parents are paying for internship placements. Intrax Internships Abroad charges $6,000 to $8,000 to place 18-to-25-year-olds in eight-week internships (mostly unpaid) in six countries.