Today's guest post is all about navigating a career and married life. For us it's so important to not spend time at work that could be spent at home, work hard at work and play hard at home. What advice would you add?
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It is a strange feeling once
the dust has settled after your wedding and you start to settle into married
life. There has been so much focus and attention placed on the wedding for so
long that it can feel surreal merely going about your normal life and returning
to work after the honeymoon. This is the start of a new chapter in both of your
lives, and you need to come together to discuss your goals and aspirations. For
many newlyweds, it is a time for furthering their career, but it can be hard to
know how to go about doing this.
Why
Advance Your Career
Many couples find that their
career was put on the back burner during the wedding planning so you might feel
like it is an area that needs some attention once you settle into married life.
Not only this but if you and your partner have dreams of upgrading to a bigger
home, starting a family and generally leading an enjoyable lifestyle, then you
may want to increase your salary which is likely to require advancing your
career.
Consider
Your Current Position
The first step to take is to
consider your current position and how happy you are. If you like the company
that you work for and the people that you work with, then you might want to see
how you can advance your career internally. If not, you could look elsewhere,
and this can be an exciting yet daunting time.
Think
About Your Personal Life
Before you make any major
career decisions, you should always consider your personal life particularly
now that you are married. Think about if you have plans to move away any time
soon, if you plan on having a baby or anything else that could make advancing
your career a challenge.
Speak To
Your Superior
Speaking to your superior
will alert them that you want to advance your career and they will be able to advise you on how to go
about doing this. This might include providing training opportunities,
introducing you to certain people, and putting your name forward for vacancies.
Look
Elsewhere
It is also worth exploring
your options and seeing if there is the opportunity to progress with a new job
opportunity. These moves can be daunting, but sometimes you need to change
company to progress. Do not shy away from meeting with different companies just
to see what is out there and to show that you are looking to progress.
Network
Networking can open doors, get your name out there, and help
you to develop key relationships in your industry. The internet is a great
place for networking for your career, but you should also look to attend
industry events and meet people face-to-face, which is much more memorable. Do
not shy away from asking people in your network for a favor or an opportunity -
if you do not ask, you do not get.
Improve
Your Soft Skills
It is hard to get ahead in
your career without good soft skills. Identify areas which are your weakness
and find ways to strengthen these skills so that you are well-rounded. You can improve soft skills by reading online, courses, and through practice.
Earn
Qualifications
You might find that in order
to advance your career, you need to earn additional qualifications. A masters in operation
management online will teach
you everything that you need to catapult your career by providing you with
excellent leadership skills and the ability to link people, performance, and
workflow processes. You won’t want to have to spend time away from your partner
studying which is why it is a smart idea to take this course online which will
allow you great flexibility and the ability to juggle your career, study, and
relationship.
Make Time
For Your Partner
When you are trying to
advance your career, this can take up a lot of time and energy. It is vital
that you still make the time for your partner, so you need to communicate and
use your free time effectively. This should include regular date nights where
you can give each other your undivided attention and forget about your career
for the evening.
Help Each
Other
Leading on from this, you
might find that you are able to help each other with your careers. It might
involve organizing work shifts so that you can always manage family, chores,
and other responsibilities as a team - this is what being married is all about.
In addition to physical support, you should also provide emotional support for
each other as everyone has times where their work can take its toll.
Look
After Your Health
When you are trying to
advance your career, maintain your marriage, and manage typical chores and
responsibilities, it can be very easy to neglect your health and wellbeing.
This needs to be a priority, so make sure that you have ways to relax, that you
are eating a healthy diet, getting enough exercise, and getting enough sleep each night.
Set
Boundaries
Juggling a career and your
relationship can be tricky as you need to give enough time and attention to
both areas. The best way to do this is to set clear boundaries - this will
involve setting rules about your work availability after hours, not checking
your emails while at home and by making your working hours strictly
professional. It is, of course, impotent to talk about work with your partner
but just make sure that it does not dominate conversations and that there is a clear line between your
professional and personal life.
Many newlyweds find that they
want to spend tie working on their career once they settle into married life.
This can be an excellent idea if you want to upgrade your lifestyle, but it can
also be hard to know how to advance your career without it negatively impacting
married life. Hopefully, these tips will help you to advance your career while
still being able to provide your partner love and attention so that you can
enjoy this exciting new chapter.
