'Helicopter parenting just hit the job market': Interviewer shocked when job candidate’s parent calls to ask for higher salary offer, HR says it’s not as rare as you’d think

Your first real-world job interview is terrifying. School spent years preparing you for life after graduation, but no amount of resume workshops or mock interviews can fully capture the sweaty-palmed reality of sitting across from someone who holds your future in their hands. You'll do anything just to land that first gig. You probably smiled too much, laughed at bad jokes, and maybe even sold your soul if it meant a steady paycheck.

Then comes the part no one warns you about. Negotiating your salary. For me, it took three jobs before I finally mustered the courage to ask for more than what was offered. When you're desperate to secure the position, the idea of pushing back feels like a surefire way to make them rescind the offer entirely.

It's natural to ask your parents or friends for advice. Maybe they've been through it before and know what's reasonable to request. But one thing is certain, you do not, under any circumstances, have someone call on your behalf. Especially not your mom.

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Which brings us to this story where an interviewer picks up the phone expecting to hear from a job candidate… only to find themselves negotiating with their mother instead. And apparently, it’s not as rare as you’d think.
via A. C. For Unsplash+
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"That awkward moment when a candidate's parent called me to negotiate their salary"

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