dating someone who is pursuing the same career path as you

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Even though they say you shouldn’t date people in your industry, those always seem to be the people you most naturally hit it off with, aren’t they? And why shouldn’t they be? You obviously share many common interests if you’re working in the same field. You likely even have some similar personality traits if you were drawn to the same lifestyle. You probably even have many of the same values, since you’re interested in promoting and advancing the same product/concept/company. I say, screw the rule about dating someone in the same industry as your own. You’re passing up on a great pool of potential partners there. That being said, just like dating someone out of your industry presents some challenges, so too does dating someone in it. Here’s what it’s like dating someone who is pursuing the same career path as you.

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Finding time to be together is easy

You’ll never have to choose between pursuing your career and being with your partner because they’re one and the same thing. You’ll want to go to the same events, so being around each other won’t be tough.

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Finding alone time—not so much

Finding alone time is a whole other issue. You’ll have to work extra hard to fight the temptation to fill up date night with networking events and career-oriented activities.

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You have the same friends

When you go to a social engagement, neither of you feel like he or she is making a sacrifice because you have the same friends and contacts.

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If you love each other, it’s double the wins

If you truly love each other, then when something good happens for your partner, you feel like something good happened for you. You’re just that connected.

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If you don’t love each other, there will be jealousy

If you’re jealous of one another, that’s not a symptom of dating someone in the same industry: that’s a symptom of dating someone you don’t really love. Don’t get the two confused.

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You never run out of things to talk about

Your conversations are always vibrant and interesting because your industry is always evolving and changing. There’s always something to talk about.

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You have to remember to change the subject

But you do have to make a point to not talk about work sometimes and remember those other little personality traits and quirks you love about each other.

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You really understand the little victories

To outsiders, your partner doesn’t look victorious unless something big happens. But you’re on the inside, so you understand the value of some of the smaller victories along the way. It’s nice to understand that about each other.

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And the little losses

You also understand the significance of some of the bad things your partner experiences—the things that outsiders wouldn’t see as such a big deal.

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You have to be careful not to network each other

You have to dance a very delicate dance of helping one another when you can, but not networking one another. If your partner has an opportunity to give out to somebody, even if you want it, you have to step back and understand he should give it to the best candidate. You can’t take it personal if that’s not you.

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People will compare you

People will compare you and your partner a lot. I don’t know why they do it—why they think you enjoy hearing, “You’re doing better than your partner.” You don’t take joy in people saying anything inadvertently negative about him.

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You have a natural language

You have a shorthand when you speak. You can use one word to explain something to him that you’d need fifty words to explain to someone else.

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You completely understand what the future may hold

When your partner is in a different industry from your own, you don’t really know what the future holds. But when he’s in the same one, you basically know exactly what opportunities may or may not come up, and what your partner’s potential for earning is.