Career Planning for the Working Parent

Planning ahead is always a good idea, especially when you are planning the future direction of your career. Career planning can provide beneficial assistance in achieving your career goals, in dealing with career crises and adapting to a rapidly changing work environment.

For harried working parents, juggling work and family responsibilities, career planning may seem like a great idea but one that few find the time to complete. They despair that the shambolic pattern of their lives will never end - the rush from work to the child care centre, then home to cook dinner, supervise bath time and then to bed, only to repeat the same exhausting schedule the next day. Not true! Children become more independent as they enter school and parents do return to nights of unbroken sleep, which they need so they are ready for the next stage - the concerts, the sporting activities, canteen duty, and then on to the teenage years etc!.

Just as parenting has stages, so do careers. We begin our working lives by choosing a career and then learning to fit into an organisation and a profession. In the middle stage we locate a career anchor - our specific skills and expertise, needs and motives - and then decide whether to specialise or generalise. In the later stage we may move on to a mentoring role, gradually letting go and finally retiring. The stages of a career operate in tandem with the stages of parenting. They all place demands on our time, our energy and our emotions in their own unique way. An awareness of each of these stages will help you make your career plans.

In planning a career it is best to recognise from the outset that we all have the same number of hours each day to deal with our work/life responsibilities. Therefore, as a working parent, decisions at each stage need to be based on your priorities. Ask yourself, what really matters to you:

The reality test needs to be applied to the priorities you decide on by examining what is possible in your circumstances. Consider:

your potential financial opportunities and rewards, career growth opportunities
the workplace culture in your organisation or profession (i.e. attitudes to parents, hours, promotion practices, etc.)
the amount of your personal time you are willing or able to commit to your career (e.g., for education, reading, seminars, etc.)
the sort of personal life you want to lead (e.g., how important are your hobbies, sporting activities, friendships, community involvement?)
any physical limitations or health issues
any geographical commitments eg to live a long way away from your work or other potential employers

In deciding on your priorities you must ask yourself what is more important to you - achievement of your career goals or achievement of your personal goals? What kind of life do you want for you and your family? Is your work integral to your sense of self or do you do it primarily for the money?

To work or not to work

Having assessed your priorities you are now ready to make a choice as to how best to cope with the demands of your career and your family. Before making a choice learn all you can about the way work influences family life and the way family life influences work. There are a number of self-help books available on these issues but the best information will come from others who tell you what influenced their choices and whether or not their choices proved to be right for them.

Taking time off/returning to work

Many parents choose to take advantage of parental leave provisions when their children are born but intend to pick up their career at a later time. For these parents there are a number of strategies to ensure that skills are still current and valuable on returning to work, including:

On returning to work parents may need to consider whether, in fact, they should continue in their previous career if it does not allow them the flexibility they need to care for their family. Does a career change mean re-training? Can you afford the necessary energy and income? If returning to your previous job how do you make up for time spent away? Is more study necessary? Are you content to "plateau" your career ambitions for a while until your parenting responsibilities are not so demanding?

We all know working parents can suffer considerable stress in pursuing their work and family goals. The good news is that there are strategies to make it work. First, you must find the right child care solution. The wrong choice can be catastrophic for you and your child, as well as taking your focus off your work commitments. Plan your life efficiently, by using schedules for planning specific times for family, work and other activities. Kill two birds with the one stone by, for example, working together to accomplish tasks around the house. By preparing dinner with a family member you'll get a job done and spend time together. Take time to shift from work to family. Listen to music you enjoy as you travel home and shift your thoughts from work to family. Take care of your physical health through regular exercise, sensible eating, etc so you are better able to withstand emotional and physical stress. Ask your employer about your options for flexible hours, help with child and elder care, a transfer or relocation. Build a community support network. Talk with schools and other agencies about their support services for employed parents. And help out other working parents with child care. What goes around comes around. Be positive! Work-family stress will occur but the advantages of your current situation outweigh the disadvantages. And be realistic about what you can do both at work and at home.

Action plans

Part of the career planning process is to devise a written career action plan detailing career goals and objectives, targets and the steps necessary for achieving them. Factor in to your plan actions that will enable you to meet your career goals as well as address your personal priorities. Education and training needs, real and estimated costs need to be included. A realistic time line to implement your action plan should be determined, taking into account the possible expansion of your family and the goals and needs of your children, partner and parents. Routinely monitor your progress in implementing your action plan and modify the plan when necessary.

Experts advise that everyone should have a mentor. That is, anyone who is hoping to have a successful and satisfying career. A mentor is typically a person with more experience and status than the protégé, and in the later stage of their career. The mentor acts as a coach, a sounding board, a confidant, a sponsor, a role model - and a door opener to success. The mentor benefits from the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills as well as the satisfaction of ensuring the future of their organisation or the profession. The protégé receives valuable guidance in planning their career and achieving their career goals.

The critical factors for a successful mentoring relationship are mutual respect, communication, an honest approach and commitment.

In choosing a mentor make sure they have followed the same career path that you wish to follow. However, as a working parent it is equally important that the mentor is a parent too, who understands your conflicting priorities.

Plan for the future