Before you married your husband, you probably spent a lot of time together. I know my wife and I spent practically every day together in college. As your careers have advanced, you may have noticed that you’re both home less than you used to be. For this reason, and many others, couples are going into the job industry – together. While the time together may be appealing, there are positives and negatives to working so close.
Why you should Work with your Husband
If you and your husband feel you rarely see each other, working together could be a positive career move for your marriage. Depending on the hours you both work, you could end up spending a lot of time together. This is one of the main reasons couples decide to work together.
By joining your careers, you can earn extra money. For instance, you can save more than $1000 a year just by carpooling. Working together will probably make it easier to carpool than if you and your husband are working separate jobs. In some industries, like trucking, wages are higher for couples than they are for individuals.
Depending on the industry you choose, you may have opportunities to travel together. Since your trips are work-related, they’ll generally cost less than your average vacation. These “adventures” can bring excitement into your marriage.
Why you shouldn’t
When you work apart, you each have separate stresses related to your jobs. A benefit of that is that you’re less likely to bring your stress home to your husband since you know he doesn’t understand it. When your stress does come with you, his emotions are less likely to be elevated and he can calm you more easily. When you work together, you’re both stressed at the same time about the same things.
Too much time together can be a problem for some couples. Your husband may have annoying habits that you weren’t aware of until you started doing the same job. If you can’t wait to go back to work at the end of a four-day weekend, that may be a cause for concern.
One of the main reasons you shouldn’t work with your husband is because it can be difficult to find couples’ jobs in some industries. Though there are some job markets that are more open to it than others.
Industries Open to Couples
The food industry is a great place for couples to work together. Depending on your interests and expertise, one of you may want to run a restaurant and the other cook. Perhaps you’re interested in buying an orchard. If you’re both passionate about food, this may be a great choice.
Though it can be hard to break into, the entertainment industry is great for couples. If you’re both musically inclined, play music together. Think about where your interests lie. Even if you decide you can’t make a lot of money in entertainment, it could be a good joint hobby.
Surprisingly, the trucking industry is one of the best for couples. Fleet management loves couple teams because you can legally keep the truck moving 24-7. One of you will drive while the other sleeps. Teams also make more money because they’re able to work more quickly and they can keep cargo more secure since the truck isn’t stopped all night.
If you’re not sure if working together is right for you and your husband, try volunteering together. If you can successfully do this for a couple of months, you’ll probably be OK at merging careers. Check newspapers and online listings for prospective couple jobs.