Most of Our Parents Have No Clue What We Do for a Living

Remember when you were in elementary school and you knew your parents’ job titles, but had no clue how to describe what they actually did?

Well, now it seems the roles have reversed.

According to a recent LinkedIn survey, most millennials’ parents have absolutely no clue what they do for a living.

With that said, almost half of all parents said that they didn’t think they could do their child’s job for the day, not surprisingly, due to a lack of understanding of their role. So – prepare yourself now – it looks like you may have some explaining to do around the family dinner table this holiday season.

That’s because 68 per cent of parents said that they didn’t understand their child’s job.

millennials parents

The recent survey found quite a few trends when it comes to the relationship between today’s young professionals and their parents that indicate a strong generational gap when it comes to work.

The gap is not only prominent when it comes to a lack of understanding of their children’s jobs, but also in a lack of communication about how proud of their children they really are – they don’t share those thoughts with their kids.

Despite this, however, most of them – 78 per cent – admit that they brag about their child’s achievements to others.

When it comes to their own children, almost half (45 per cent) of parents can’t remember the last time they told their offspring that they were proud of them. The reasoning? Apparently, some parents just haven’t had the chance, with 27 per cent blaming the lack of opportunity for not expressing their pride. Meanwhile, one in 10 parents point to a lack of understanding of their child’s job and everyday life.

millennials parents

Some of the problem comes down to buzzwords and industry lingo their kids use when discussing their job, with 46 per cent of parents feeling stumped by such jargon.

It also has to do with skill set and knowledge, with 28 per cent of parents reporting that they would lack the relevant skills and knowledge to do the role.

Some parents don’t even try to understand it, with fifteen per cent confessing to not knowing their child’s job title or name of the company they work for.

They remain optimistic when it comes to the success of their kids, however, with many thinking their offspring will experience more success than they did, thanks to more workplace opportunities. For example, 56 per cent of mothers believe their daughters have more opportunities to progress in their careers than they did.

millennials parents

A total of 32 per cent think their kids are on track to be much more successful in their career.

Somewhat surprisingly, given the fact that millennials admit to having less than $1000 in their savings account and to mooching off their parents, over half of parents (53 per cent) think their child earns more than they did at their age.

The study also showed that parents misunderstand some of the top jobs of today’s millennials:

  1. UI designer (80%)
  2. Actuary (73%)
  3. Data scientist (72%)
  4. Social media manager (67%)
  5. Sub editor (66%)
  6. Radio producer (62%)
  7. Sociologist (60%)
  8. Investment banker (59%)
  9. Software developer (58%)
  10. Fashion designer (57%)

Yes, some are more confusing than others, but “fashion designer” and “investment banker” seem pretty straightforward to us.

The survey examined 16,529 parents in the UK, U.S., Canada, Australia, France, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Brazil, Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, and India.