<p>I have not been in this position before- & don’t want to be rude- but I also don’t want to be shy about asking for a favor if someone would really love to help.</p>
<p>My younger D is starting to get her ducks in a row for her major- environmental journalism, which is also the field that a friend from high school who I recently reconnected with this summer at our reunion is in. He always was interested in communications, unlike most of my friends who were just interested in where the parties were Sat night, but he has not only been able to make a career of it, but a very impressive one at that. ( with a degree from an instate univ BTW, but now he lectures at Stanford & Yale)</p>
<p>She hasn’t asked me for advice ( are you kidding? She doesn’t even tell me when she runs out of money for food) , but being from a blue collar background- we don’t have many relatives who have even attended college, let alone in a similar field to our kids- but since I know nothing about it & worry about her making a living in a career that seems fraught with pitfalls ( Silkwood comes to mind) , I guess I am hoping he will either be able to be encouraging or steer her far away.</p>
<p>What do other people do? I know networking probably comes easier to some, but I am awful at it and worry about stepping over some invisible line.</p>
<p>My daughter is studying Y (or planning to major in Y), and I am not certain how to help her in getting started in her future career (or choosing coursework). I hate to abuse our old friendship, but I don’t know anyone else working in this particular field, and I would truly appreciate any suggestions that you might have. </p>
<p>I’d simply write a short note asking if he’d talk to your DD, telling him her interests. It’s not abusing an old friendship and is done by acquaintances all the time.</p>
<p>EK4, if it helps you get over the hump, I’ll pass along that I’ve done this (informal/informational interviews) several times with kids of friends and acquaintances, and it is almost always a joy to do. It’s such a pleasure to absorb some of the energy, ideas, and committment of young adults starting out in the field. Go for it!</p>
<p>Just my $0.02–I think most professionals are <em>happy</em> to share their experience/expertise/advice. We consider it giving back to the profession. (BTW–I don’t think asking someone for info about a field is exactly asking for a favor. I’m sure he does this all the time. The real favor is when you ask him for a job interview for your daughter. )</p>
<p>Speaking for myself, I LIKE when people ask if I have career advice for their children/friends/significant others. No one has ever been anything but grateful. It might be different if people came to me expecting me to give them a job, but that’s never happened (a good thing, since I don’t have hiring authority). That said, I have been able to point people towards job openings, and I have circulated resumes resulting in job offers.</p>
, I guess I am hoping he will either be able to be encouraging or steer her far away.</p>
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