There is a perception that successful professionals have very few problems on the dating scene. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, IT professionals, and journalists are just a few of the professional occupations that place significant demands on young practitioners, leaving limited time for romantic pursuits.
Many career professionals face the same problems when it comes to dating. Men and women both attempt negotiating the challenges associated with pursuing a career, and maintaining amorous relationships. But where many women will opt for establishing love and a family at some point during their career cycle, men will usually convince themselves that they must always be the bread winner.
Professional career fields are competitive. Professionals who do not quickly negotiate the learning curve find themselves taking longer to climb the corporate ladder. They enter their careers with the understanding that long hours and a commitment to learning are expected, and put themselves on the fast track toward achieving the American dream. Few become serious about establishing romantic relationships until their careers are well established.
Young professionals put their careers first and everything else second. Allocating time for outside interests often takes a back seat to continued learning and professional development, making it difficult to find fulfilling relationships outside of the work environment. Many young professionals simply put love on the back burner, choosing to first achieve professional goals.
Established professionals often outgrow the need to prove themselves in the workforce, but still commit countless hours to their work responsibilities. For some, it's all they know. Many have burned through marriages and relationships, and their careers remain the one constant that they can still control. They date for companionship, but usually avoid long term or permanent relationships.
Relationships can be demanding, often requiring time and commitment burdens that many professionals feel can wait. Casual dating becomes an attractive alternative, but even that can sometimes lead to relationships more permanent than many young professionals are emotionally prepared for. Many professionals date other professionals, because they feel their work commitments are better understood among peers.
But dating among peers does not guarantee relationship success. Relationship partners sharing similar work commitments may initially be more understanding, but once emotions get involved, they can still become demanding of time and consistency.
Dating can be fast and furious for the career oriented. Those in entry level positions average 60 to 80 hour work weeks, so juggling a professional life with a personal one creates challenges in time management. Because of this, young professionals have developed a reputation for working hard and playing harder, as their schedules do not leave much room for nurturing long term associations.
Many male professionals date frequently. They pursue exclusivity only when they find a woman who understands their commitment to work, and their schedule. Usually, they settle down with female professionals who deal with the same type of dating problems. Many men find that unless a woman happens to work in the same career field, explanations for late nights at the office become frequent and plentiful.
Few women have the patience to wait for years while a man focuses on professional ambitions. Women who try, often spend countless nights being stood up for dinner dates, or spend even longer having their goals take a back seat to the man's ambitions. Many simply move on, frustrated by the experience.
Another reason why it becomes difficult for young professionals to balance their careers with dating is because they spend a tremendous amount of time networking professionally. Even social activities are spent pursuing business relationships. Golf outings become informal business meetings, and social events are designed to court clients.
A big problem is that many men see a business prospect instead of a possible love interest when they do meet someone new. Every outing becomes an opportunity to drum up new business, with the rare exception of socializing with old friends from school. For many, those relationships were in a different lifetime, and have little relevance to their current life.
Some men also become cautious of women, who they feel may be after their hard earned assets. Trust issues aren't helped by the high number of divorces among young professionals. Pre-nuptial agreements are frequent in the marriages of established professionals, and young professionals don't take that for granted.
However, some professionals do achieve successful social lives which include dating, and activities outside of their work. They strive for balance, and make it a priority in their schedule. Many choose to date and socialize outside of their professional contacts, opting to completely separate business from pleasure. For them, success takes on a whole new meaning.