That's a big reason why LinkedIn, the world's largest professional networking site, launched its annual "Bring In Your Parents Day" last year. This week, the company will again invite employees' parents to visit the office on Nov. 6 to attend presentations and tag along with their children to learn more about their work.
In its 2013 global survey of 16,000 adults, LinkedIn found that one out of every three parents has a hard time understanding what their kids' jobs require. Two thirds of parents want to learn more, and half think that they could better support their children if they did.
The survey identified the 10 jobs that are most misunderstood around the world. We've broken them out, along with an explanation for any struggling parents.
Max Nisen contributed to an earlier version of this article.