Last week I was interviewed by Monster.com as a couples expert for an article they are doing on how your spouse can make or break your career.

Though the topic was a bit presumptuous it is worth exploring how those we love can assist us and occasionally interfere with our career goals.

As with all interviews I offered them ideas, thoughts and what I see as words of occasional wisdom and their editors cut it down into several quotes that they then sprinkle throughout the article like pepper ground on a caesar salad. On a side-note, I am particularly proud of how I snuck in a Shakespeare reference, Ha!

Since Monster.com did not use the entire interview I thought I would share a brief synopsis of what we discussed.

How Can a Partner’s Personality Affect Someone’s Career?

A partner’s personality can drastically affect the career of the other
partner. The ideal relationship is one in which both partners offer
caring, non-judgmental, and partner-focused support. If these positive
relational factors are present it creates a safe space from which both
partners can prosper and take more chances in their careers and other
endeavors outside of their relationship. If these factors are not present a
partner will feel a lack of safety and insecurity which can impact career
decisions and attitudes. 

A lack of partner-focused support in particular can
have a strong negative impact on a career. Often partners will believe
that they are offering support when in reality what they really want is for their partner to
make a decision that will serve their interests. One partner may
consciously or unconsciously be using the other for personal gain. For a
literary example, Shakespeare’s Macbeth is entirely about the drive of Lady
Macbeth to achieve power by relationally pushing her partner in ways that
achieve her goal.

For those interested in reading the full article it can be found here.

I welcome any thoughts or questions about partners affecting careers or any other things you would like me to discuss related to couples or marriage counseling.