Chapter 14 Researching Careers 303
Personal Lifestyle and Goals
When you evaluate your career interests, you may also want to
consider how your career will fit your life. In matching yourself to the
right career, think about your personal lifestyle and goals. How would
certain careers affect your lifestyle choices? Your career can affect many
important aspects of your future—where you live, your income, your
friends, and your family. What are your future goals? Do you want
to complete school and start a career? Do you plan on marriage and
a family? Knowing your personal goals can help you make a wiser
decision about your future career.
If your goals include marriage, how will you manage a marriage and
a career? Discussing both marriage and career goals before planning to
marry and have a family is important. If you and your spouse plan to
have careers outside the home and raise a family, you will be part of a
dual-career family. This means managing the demands of a career as
well as family responsibilities.
A dual-career family can be a beneficial arrangement for both
spouses. They can experience personal growth in their careers and
contribute to the family’s income. Opportunities for sharing home and
family tasks can help strengthen a marriage. For couples with children,
relationships may improve within the family if both spouses work.
Children may become more independent. When the mother works
outside the home, this may give the father more time with the children.
He may also share in the household tasks.
Managing a dual-career family can also lead to problems. Caring
for a home and children can be difficult when a couple works. Spouses
may have different working hours. For example, one spouse may work
during the day while the other spouse works at night. This may create
problems in managing personal schedules, child care, and household
tasks. One spouse may be transferred to another city, interfering with the
other spouse’s career plans. Home and family responsibilities may not be
equally shared.
Career-oriented parents often have difficulties fitting child care
into their work schedules. Child care within the home may be more
convenient, but most parents take their children to a child care center or
home. Some employers recognize this concern by providing on-site child
care facilities for their employees. Other employers may help pay part of
the cost of child care at child care facilities close to the work site.
The demands of a dual-career family can cause physical and
emotional strains. To manage these, family members need to work
together as a team. When family members accept and share household
responsibilities, they learn cooperation, self-worth, and appreciation of
each other.
Making a career decision can be complex. It should be taken
very seriously since it will greatly impact your future. Gain a deep
understanding of yourself and gather all the facts you can about your
career interests before making a decision. Then consider your personal
lifestyle and goals. Careful thought and planning should help guide you
toward your career decision.