Key Differences Between Having a Job and Romantic Relationships

So we just passed through ye ole Valentine's Day and I loved this take Brazen Careerist (which is a cool site that is basically LinkedIn for young folks, you should check it out!) had on how dating cliches can aide us in our job search.

I got to thinking about what comes after the dating stage and how having a relationship and having a job are really similar in the way that they get under your skin...make your heart flutter...cause anxiety about if you're wanting it too much or if this one is just not right...make you excited and crazy and after about 6 months you have a pretty good idea if things could really work out...

But there are some key ways that they differ and we definitely shouldn't treat them both the same way! I am happily married and settled into my romantic life but up until this incredible gig with Vantage I was definitely kind of a job-dater. I love startups and small businesses, they have such an awesome, scrappy energy to them, but sometimes the energy is just there in a vaccuum and other parts of the business put up red flags that I just couldn't tolerate. 

Here are a few key ways that relationships and a jobs differ and how we can handle them:

1. With a job, you can take one you are not super enthused about just to get by. In the relationship realm this is pretty much frowned upon as using and not a quality situation to put someone else in! Just make sure if you are still looking for other opportunities that you still give 100% while you work there and give your employer all due respect in notifying them of your departure if another job arises that you would like to take, instead. 
2. With a job, it's okay to shop around on your own time for something better. Even if you are perfectly happy in your current job, it's a great idea to continue to grow your network and even entertain possible opportunities as they arise to see if they can compete with what you already have. You always have risks to weigh out in those situations though, but there are always risks in any seemingly comfortable situation as well such as downsizing, mergers and even the outright shut-down of a business so be smart on both sides, but don't ever stop networking! ...In a relationship though, this energy is known to lead to CHEATING which is not good, either!
3. With a job you are not thrilled with, you can still choose to THINK really positive and make the best of a tough situation, expanding your mind while you are there; whereas with a relationship, if you have to try THAT hard to be okay with the other person, it's possible you should just get out.

What other kind of similarities have you seen between your work and romantic lives? Let me know in the comments!

Keep rockin'

Jenn