Earning a college degree is an important first step toward success in many fields. However, earning a degree doesn’t magically grant your college grad a great job. Competition in most fields is stiff, especially in the current economy, and your college grad will have to work hard to land that first big job.

Fortunately, you can help your child look for jobs in several ways. The key is to be supportive but not enabling. Even if your child has done well on their own at school, most recent college grads are still in for a rude awakening when they start looking for jobs and try to make their own way in the real world.

It’s natural for your overwhelmed college grad to try to rely too heavily on you, but it’s your job to set some boundaries. Allowing your child to crash in his old room, eat your food, and play video games all day won’t do anyone any good. It’s okay to let your college grad stay at home for a bit while they search for a job, but don’t hand everything to them on a silver platter. Your child should pay his own way as much as possible, as well as help out around the house.

When it comes to actually looking for jobs, there are a few simple ways you can lend a hand without going overboard. If you have experience writing resumes, you might review your child’s resume and offer some helpful tips. If the interviewing process is what has your college grad stumped, help her get more comfortable by staging some practice interviews. She might feel silly doing so, but she’ll thank you when that first job offer is on the table.

Another way that you can help as a parent is by using your connections to network for job openings. Trying to pull strings to get your child a job at your own place of work probably isn’t the best idea for either of you, but it doesn’t hurt to ask around and see whether your friends, family, or colleagues know of any relevant job openings anywhere else. It’s not about putting in a good word so much as finding out about open positions and scoring that first interview. At that point, it will be up to your child to shine.

Many people think that the job of raising a child is over when he turns 18, but this isn’t always so. Many children begin stepping out on their own at this point, but your kids will always be looking to you for support and guidance, even after they’ve grown and had children of their own. Being part of a family means helping one another, so it’s okay to try to help your child find a good job after college—just make sure you set some boundaries and allow him to make his own mistakes every once in a while.