Be Your Own Career Coach

CHAPTER 4

Balancing your work and your life

According to the Center for American Progress, 90 per cent of working mothers and 95 per cent of working fathers report work–family conflict. But work/life balance isn’t solely a topic for those with a family; single people are entitled to a work/life balance too – they may want to devote out-of-hours time to relaxing, exercising, socialising or doing community work.

The utopian view of the post-war years that increasing technology would give people more away-from-the-workplace quality time has proven largely wrong; technology binds many of the working population to the office while they are commuting, relaxing or even on holiday. Those who aren’t in ‘white collar’ jobs are working longer hours ...