Should I heed my wife’s call to leave employment?
My wife, who was my classmate in college, runs a restaurant and earns almost thrice as much as I do. She has been asking me to quit my job and join her in the family business, but I am reluctant. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- People pursue careers for many reasons not the least of which is financial health. It is, however, not unusual to find individuals pursuing careers exclusively in furtherance of charity or other personal interests, more so once they have established a level of financial security.
- It is clear that you are concerned about how your leadership in the family might be undermined by pursuing your engineering career. Would you find your spouse’s proposal compelling if you were earning the same amount she is earning from the business?
Q. I am an engineer. My wife, who was my classmate in college, runs a restaurant and earns almost thrice as much as I do.
In fact, she caters for more than half of our young family’s needs. She has been asking me to quit my job and join her in the family business, but I am reluctant.
I wanted to practice for some few more years before I can think of business, but the lure is too strong.
I also feel that my position as the family head is threatened.
Should I heed my wife’s calls?
The pursuit of your engineering career appears to have become prone to the alluring fortunes of your family’s roaring restaurant business.
People pursue careers for many reasons not the least of which is financial health. It is, however, not unusual to find individuals pursuing careers exclusively in furtherance of charity or other personal interests, more so once they have established a level of financial security.
It is clear that you are concerned about how your leadership in the family might be undermined by pursuing your engineering career. Would you find your spouse’s proposal compelling if you were earning the same amount she is earning from the business? And if you were to join her in the business, what role would you play? Are your abilities and interests aligned with running a restaurant business? Have you and your spouse considered discussing your careers and how they fit with the values and aspirations you espouse as a family? Such a discussion could yield insight that may foster greater mutual alignment.
Although you do not associate your career with great financial returns, you should be aware that there are countless engineers who are thriving financially. What personal and professional attributes would you need to cultivate in order to grow and register better financial outcomes from your career?
What business did you think of starting after your engineering practice and how have you been preparing yourself for it? You could benefit from engaging a career coach to explore your options and find clarity. What is especially important to both of you that you would not contemplate losing?
The answer might help you determine how much room you should make for financial considerations within the perimeter of your family and career interests.
