Once upon a time, gender roles after marriage in Indian society were firmly set. The husband went to work to support his family and the wife stayed home and raised children. In those days, few women pursued a full time career before marriage, let alone after marriage. Any formal education that they managed to receive was geared only towards making them better wives and mothers. When girls decided which courses to take in college, they thought only about how they would look in their resumes – for marriage.
Today, the situation is very different. There are still plenty of women who are content to be housewives and homemakers, and that is a perfectly valid choice to make, provided you make it yourself without pressure from your relatives. But for those women who want to make a mark for themselves in the world, “to make a dent in the universe”, to put it in Steve Jobs’ words, marriage does not necessarily put a period to a career in the corporate world.
If you are reading this article, then chances are that you fall in the latter category. So if you are serious about pursuing a career after marriage, then take the following advice:
Talk to your husband to be and his family
The fact of the matter is that it is not possible to pursue a career after marriage without family support. Discuss your hopes and dreams with your fiancé and ask about his views. In fact, it is better to be frank and upfront with your man even before getting engaged. After all, marriage is about sharing and open communication, isn’t it? Most men today would prefer to marry career oriented women, but the same may not be true for his family. While most DINK (Double Income No Kids) couples work hard and party harder, it is a different story altogether once you have a child. After having children, you may decide to take some time off, but you will find it nearly impossible to resume your career where you left off if you do not have the full support of your family behind you.
Choose the career path you want to follow
Once you have the backing and full support of your family behind you, you will have to seriously think about the career path you want to follow. Teaching is probably one of the easiest careers in terms of work load and hours. Most government jobs are low stress, have regular working hours great perks along with the additional benefit of being secure, so this is another career path that you might want to follow. Jobs in government banks are probably best suited in this regard. It is possible to get a B. Ed degree or prepare for entrance examinations for government jobs after marriage, but if you want to pursue a career in the corporate world, then it is best if you finish you studies before marriage. A Master’s degree is essential to get ahead in the corporate world, whether it is an M. Tech or an MBA.
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