Putting a foot in the door
My daughter is a sophomore in college and is starting to apply for summer internships. She’s a great student — all A’s and B’s — and a hard worker. She wants to work in the film industry, so most of the places she’s sending her resume are media companies, film studios, advertising agencies and the like. My good friend of 25 years, who is like an uncle to my daughter, is the head of production at one of the top ad agencies in Los Angeles. He said years ago that if my daughter ever needed a job, I should let him know, but he hasn’t brought it up lately.
In this day and age, applying for jobs has a lot to do with whom you know. I see networking as an important and advantageous skill for my daughter to have, but I don’t know whether telling my friend she is looking for an internship would be an overstep. She’s brand-new to the professional world. Would I be right to do this? I don’t want to put my friend in an awkward position, and if my daughter did get the job, I wouldn’t want her colleagues to resent her because she got the job through a friend of the boss’s. — Mom With Connections
Yes, you should absolutely take advantage of that connection and ask your friend whether he has any open internships for which your daughter might apply. She is new to the industry, and this “uncle” could serve as a great professional mentor. Just be sure to bring it up with him in private, when your daughter isn’t around. As long as it’s just you two, you won’t be putting him in an awkward position. He can always say no.
At the end of the day, you’re just trying to help your daughter open that door and get a foot in. What she does once she’s inside is totally up to her.
This is in reference to “Concerned Grandmother,” who has a granddaughter who does not like to be touched by other people.
Your response was right when it comes to the fact that people should be respectful to others and not touch them without asking. However, I am concerned about why the granddaughter is so frightened. Perhaps she has been harassed by someone. Maybe she has not been taught properly about physical contact. Could it be that she actually wants to say more? This may be a time to recommend professional guidance.
As a 69-year-old grandma, former day care provider and school paraprofessional, I feel the communication that the granddaughter and grandmother are having is a big start to helping her find a happy medium with respect to the problem. May they find strength from each other in learning how to deal with the situation.
— Barb
Yes, you should absolutely take advantage of that connection and ask your friend whether he has any open internships for which your daughter might apply. She is new to the industry, and this “uncle” could serve as a great professional mentor.
You make a great point. I’m passing your letter along to “Concerned Grandmother” so she can go about getting to the root of her granddaughter’s problem.