Family and Career Reconciliation: Family, Employer and Career Counsellor Perspectives

Abstract The discussions about work and family reconciliation have revealed the fact that it is essential to talk about division of roles and agreements in the family, the skills important for career management, “here and now” search for the solutions to various problematic situations, flexibility and ability to get involved in work activity at the same time respecting family needs. Seeking reconciliation of family and career, family needs have been linked to positive parenthood and at the same time work tendencies and career opportunities have been estimated. Here we face some obstacles which are common to the aspiration of harmony and satisfaction in family, work or while developing career opportunities. The goal of this empirical study – to discuss common grounds and distinguish needs and challenges of young families, employers and career counsellors for successful reconciliation of family and career. A qualitative research included narratives of young parents, interviews with employers and a focus group interview with career counsellors. The data received from the narrative has been interpreted according to thematic analysis method and the interview data of focus group has been presented by dividing the data into categories and subcategories. Results have demonstrated that young parents’ experiences intertwine with employers’ experiences in some cases while career counsellors are expected to provide guidance and support to facilitate the potential conflict although there are still gaps in this service provision.