The reality of trying to balance marriage and a career.

Imagine you are a recently married woman. Life is great for you. You have a new husband, potentially a new home and the prospect of starting your own family has suddenly become very real. This is exactly why you need to be careful if you want to start your career now.

Employers are becoming increasingly aware of employing recently married women because of the high risk of them going on maternity leave shortly after they have started their new job. This is a logical reason however, it is highly discriminatory. Employers will not want to admit to this for fear of being branded ‘sexist’ or worse, ‘politically incorrect.’

However, this is an issue women face on a daily basis. Many women are finding it difficult to be employed shortly after being married, even though they have the necessary qualifications for the job.

Emily Thorpe, a full time working mum, says, “I would suggest starting with a smaller commitment [than starting a family] and building up to empire building!”

The author says that it is possible for women to begin their career at the same time as starting their married life however she says there needs to be a compromise and sacrifices have to be made in order to fulfil the two needs.

The commitment required in family life can sometimes
 be too much for someone starting their career.
The time and money is astronomical.

The Happy Working Mum blogger says, “Like a tightrope walker, you can find yourself leaning a little too much to the left and then have to redress the balance with a lean to the right.”

Emily believes there is the perfect balance between work demands and personal life demands. She said there was a fine compromise between the two however with enough time dedicated, she believes it is possible to have a successful career and have a family as well. “There are lots of routines and structures to ensure that you manage your time effectively and everything runs smoothly,” she says.

Her opinion contrasts greatly to young assistant accountant Sophie King who says, “I’m not married but I think if I was married or had plans to get married that would have affected by chances of getting this job, if I’m being really honest.”

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The 22-year-old explained that she got her job because she was young and unattached. “My employer didn’t say it during my interview, but after I started the job it was basically implied that I was chosen because I’m not settling anytime soon,” she says.

On the one hand, it is easy to understand why an employer would prefer a young and single candidate over someone who is either attached or has a family of their own or both. However, on the other hand, it is absurd to think that this underlying discrimination does take place.