A Certain Sacrifice

Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.

  Career Development  

Don't believe everything you read about how easy it is combining work and family. No one can deny its importance, But can it be done? Or better yet, how do you get close without having a nervous breakdown?

The more responsibility you have, the more complex your job, the harder it is to juggle work and family. A senior PM, for example, may discover finding the divine balance between work and family more than he or she bargained for. The article offers some tips on how to do it.

Young couples or single parents juggling work responsibilities and child-rearing face an enormous challenge. And while it has become a familiar scenario, it is still tough to handle. You often have to work 10- and 12-hour days to complete projects on time; clocking out early could mean your job.

It's no secret that managing work and family priorities is stressful, especially if you want to do them both well. Which comes first in importance? And how do you cope with the guilt of leaving your tots with a nanny all day or in a daycare program? Can it be done?

Journalist Amy Zuckerman and Lawrence Alter, president of Minneapolis-based career management firm The Arthur Group, says this balance can be achieved--but only with some serious modifications in attitude and lifestyle.

Zuckerman knows what it's like dealing with the angst of working while…

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