GUIDE FOR DUAL-CAREER COUPLES

This book discusses the major challenges facing dual-career couples-a substantial proportion of modern society-and suggests ways for both individuals to achieve career success by re-evaluating traditional styles of working and focusing on productivity, flexibility, and negotiating win-win solutions. Women are becoming increasingly influential in the workforce; the era of men being the primary or only income-earner in a partnership is all but gone. Today, people tend to meet their spouse or domestic partner at school or at work. High achievers tend to pair with other high achievers, often in similar fields. This leads to couples in which both individuals are strongly motivated to have successful careers. What happens when they become parents or when one-or both-individuals need to consider relocating for their job? Many mid-career, college-educated people, especially women as well as undergraduate and graduate students, are concerned about developing a plan to mesh their career with a partner and are seeking guidance. This book offers a gender-neutral guide for 21st-century couples that will benefit men as much as women. The author provides career-management guidance for people in dual-career relationships in which both parties are ambitiously attempting to pursue equally important, high-powered careers, presenting examples of alternative solutions and arguing that many "women's issues"-including parenting and limited geographic mobility-are more appropriately managed in a gender-neutral way as dual-career couple issues. Readers will understand how to make better decisions regarding difficult situations, such as whether to accept an opportunity that adversely impacts their personal lives, choosing to take a leave of absence or to quit, investing a large amount of one person's salary for domestic assistance and childcare, taking paternity leave, and leveraging flexible work arrangements-for example, telecommuting.

Eve Sprunt Ph.D.

Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 What Is a Dual-Career Couple? Chapter 2 Why Now? Chapter 3 Why Reframe Women's Issues as Dual-Career Couple Issues? Chapter 4 Whose Career Takes Precedence? Chapter 5 Why Share an Employer? Chapter 6 How to Balance Opportunity with Sacrifice Chapter 7 How to Secure Necessary Flexibility Chapter 8 Documenting Competency and Achievement Chapter 9 Why Both Partners Should Maintain Their Careers Chapter 10 Why You Shouldn't Wait for the System to Change Chapter 11 Surviving and Thriving as a Dual-Career Couple Notes Index