The Curse Of The Irish Mammy…When It Comes To Finding Your First Job

Some may be shocked, even appalled, that I could even put the words “Curse” and “Irish Mammy” in the same sentence. After all, who could be more precious than the devoted Irish Mammy we all know and love? From the Junior Cert to the dreaded final year college exams, they support you with the regimental lighting of the trusted candle and half drowning you in holy water before exams.

Well, as an Engineering Recruitment Consultant I regularly deal with Irish Mammies calling me on behalf of their newly graduated sons and daughters. I cannot even begin to tell you the amount of times a distressed Irish mother has called to find out if her poor Joseph/Josephine would be suitable for a job she has seen advertised. Between the subjects they studied, to what she feels they enjoyed the most and would be fantastic at… I’ve heard it all. Now, while I acknowledge there is something undeniably “cute” about this, realistically speaking, this is not doing your newly graduated son or daughter any favours. Why? It screams:

“I’ve mammied the little dote for far too long and this phone call is just another example.
Lord bless us and save us he needs his rest now after his exams so I’ll call and do it for the poor pet instead!”

Now, in all honesty mammies, while I think you are all fabulous, how am I expected to find your son/daughter a job when they don’t even want it themselves? You do realise that they will have to go for an interview, get the job and actually work every day, without you…yes? Passion and a naturally inquisitive nature are probably two of the most important qualities a new graduate can and should have. If a graduate does not possess these qualities yet, or at least show potential signs that they may acquire them in the very near future, then they are just not ready to enter the professional working environment. They will more than likely become unhappy in their job and feel like they were pushed into a position they didn’t want to be in, ultimately leading to poor performance. In summary: poor performance = poor impression = poor references.

Nothing is ever going to be given to an employee without hard work and an ability to prove that they can handle responsibility. So why is it different when looking for a job? If your grown adult son or daughter cannot even take the responsibility of handling their own career, starting with a simple phone call which requires minimal effort, then they need to learn quickly that opportunities don’t come to you, you go to them.

Today’s market is just far too competitive and there are far too many graduates out there who truly want and deserve a job. While someone may be good on paper, if they lack passion, motivation and essentially, that “get up and go factor” you inherently need to succeed in today’s competitive market, they will struggle to find a job. What needs to be remembered is that we Recruiters place the most emphasis on one solitary thing: our reputation. A graduate who is not bothered, lacks motivation, and dependent on someone else to find them a job, is not someone we are going to risk it for.

Ann Landers, the famous advice columnist, once said

“It is not what you do for your children, but what you teach them to do
for themselves that will make them successful human beings.”

I believe there is a lot to be taken from that. I sincerely hope this blog reaches out to both Graduates and Parents, in my eyes, both as culpable as each other. One for not taking enough responsibility and the other for taking too much.

To conclude, I understand it is a nerve-wrecking time after all the sacrifices you have made, money you have spent, teen tantrums you’ve had to put up with, and I fully appreciate that you only have the very best intentions. However, it’s up to them now. If they have got through four, maybe five years of college and have earned a Degree, you can be sure they found the motivation to study by themselves, submit reports to tight deadlines by themselves, and make sacrifices by themselves. Moral of the story – they are capable of looking for a job by themselves! Can you drop them off at the interview and collect them afterwards? Absolutely. Can you douse them in holy water when they’re not looking for an extra bit of good luck? Ara sure, go on! Should you run through some interview questions with them? I wholeheartedly encourage it. Can you iron their suit? Hmmm…I’m not convinced on this one but if you must. But, seriously Mammies, do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, pick up that phone! Their career, their call.