Transcription:
Sharing the career domain has been one of the more difficult challenges and from the couples I've spoken to it's probably the most difficult domain to share in the Equally Shared Parenting module. Primarily because all the other domains are kind of negotiated within your own family. You and your wife can chat about how things are going to be divided but when it comes to the career domain, you have to interface with the outside world. You have an employer, you have a job, you have expectations and requirements, so it's a little more challenging to get that domain in order. Those beliefs fit really well with an Equally Shared Parenting lifestyle where most folks don't want to get to the corner officer to earn the gold watch 40 years down the road. They want a job where they can gain experiences, where opportunity's can come for them from all different quadrants of their life based on how well they do their work and how committed they are to their job.
Secondly, we are firm believers in a concept called 'The Artisanal Worker.' It doesn't matter what you do for your job. I don't care if you're in a start-up at a new-age technology company or you're working filing insurance claims. It doesn't matter. What really matters is that you get good at what you do. You got to like what you do, you got to be energized, you got to go to work every day saying, "I want to be here and I want to get good at it." Those kinds of attitudes lead to opportunities in the workforce, whether it's in your current job or in a different job, if that turns out to be the path you need to be on.
One of the benefits of managing this career domain with your partner is a diversification of your income stream. In this recent recession many men lost their jobs at a higher percentage than women and to have two people in the workforce which may be a little ramp up or down as needed, it goes a long way to buoying the family finances. So especially for men, to stay relevant at work I really think it comes down to your energy and your commitment to your job and getting good at what you do. That will lead to opportunities down the road. It's more important to fit your job around a fantastic life than it is to fit your life around a demanding job.
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