(2008-05-09) Hallie Crawford
Certified career coach offers tips on how to help parents help their adult kids find independence
ATLANTA (MAY 9, 2008) – They're "boomerang" or "back-to-the-bedroom" kids. They leave. They come back. Sometimes more than once, often after college or between jobs.
And according to one certified career coach, parents can make it a temporary situation, if they help their adult child find a career - not just a job.
"The secret to making a child's return home successful, stress-free -- and above all, temporary -- can be summed up in two words: "The Plan." "When kids move back home, the family needs a plan that addresses how long they'll stay, how much they'll pay and what the house rules will be,” she says. "Plus, they need to help their kids find a career they love."
A Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), Hallie Crawford (www.halliecrawford.com) is an experienced coach and trainer who helps people change the way they feel about work - from just a paycheck to a fulfilling endeavor that is an extension of their purpose and passion. Based in Atlanta, she offers, career coaching, teleseminars, audio recordings and a free ezine to help people across the country find a career they love. Crawford has earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communications from Vanderbilt University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The latest Census Bureau data shows that 56 percent of men and 43 percent of women ages 18 to 24 live with one or both parents. Some never left, while others made a tactical retreat from a sluggish job market where, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment among 20-to-24-year-olds rose from 6.7 percent in 2000 to 9.4 percent in 2004.
To help parents get their kids on the business track, Crawford offers the following advice:
1. Know that college doesn't have all the answers. "Most colleges prepare you for lifelong learning - as well as some tasks related to an industry, but few teach kids how to write a resume correctly or even how to search for a career doing the tasks they love to do," she says. Parents may have to help them – or find an expert who can.
2. Plug into the network. Teaching your children how to network is important to getting a job. "Help them by reaching out to your network and arrange meetings for your child with them," says the certified career coach.
3. Unemployment is not an option. Even if a college graduate has to sling burgers while he or she looks for his dream job, he should pay for his own transportation, cell phone and entertainment. "The best therapy for anybody in the world is a job. It keeps you connected to reality," says Crawford. "Plus any experience can be used to help find the next step in the career ladder."
For more information on finding an enjoyable career or for a free 30-minute phone consultation, contact Hallie Crawford at 404-228-6434 or email at hallie@halliecrawford.com.
###
Contact:
Leslie Guria
PR for Hallie Crawford
770-573-4694
leslie@halliecrawford.com