Dating a partner who can’t hold down a job creates a lot of stress and worry.

The love you have for your partner might be all-encompassing, but when your love keeps getting overshadowed by concerns about their career, is it actually worth it?

For starters, you are NOT shallow or materialistic for caring about something as crucial as your partner’s employment status.

How to handle a partner who’s terrible at keeping a job

Dating someone who isn’t gainfully employed can be incredibly overwhelming if you never intended to be the breadwinner in your relationship.

A partner who can’t hold down a job will consistently lean on you to pay shared bills and cover expenses for both of you.

If you’re always being pressured to pick up the slack financially, you’ll feel like you’re stuck dating a partner who simply doesn’t have your back.

This arrangement isn’t terrible for people who don’t mind being breadwinners in a relationship, but if that type of setup doesn’t tickle your fancy, it’s time to reevaluate some things.

There are three routes you can take in this circumstance.

1. Wait for your partner to finally prove themselves.
2. Help your partner find a career path they can stick with.
3. Walk away and seek love with someone who already has their employment situation figured out.

Wait for your partner to finally prove themselves

Option 1… Waiting for your partner to prove themselves means you’ll have to exercise an abundance of patience.

If your partner has never shown signs that they’re capable of landing a job and keeping it, waiting for this to happen might sound like a pipe dream.

On a positive note, holding out hope that they’ll figure career stuff out on their own will show them how much you believe in them.

Showing them that you believe in them may encourage them to make some changes.

When you refrain from nagging and pushing them to find a career they can stick with, it’s easier to maintain a sense of peace as well.

Just keep in mind that you be left waiting forever.

Help your partner find a career path they can stick with

Option 2… Have a chat with your partner about what excites them the most in life. Pinpoint their passions to see if there’s a possible career path they can begin working toward.

Once you have a better idea of which career would make the most sense for them, consider sending a few relevant job applications to their inbox whenever you have some spare time.

Find interesting content on social media that highlights their ideal career path and share it with them.

Be supportive and encouraging as they start putting themselves out there. Positive reinforcement goes a long way with flighty individuals.

Keep in mind that helping someone find their way in the workforce can potentially mess with the dynamics of your relationship if you start feeling as though “mothering” them in a parental manner.

Walk away and seek love with someone who already has their employment situation figured out

Option 3… Your last resort would be calling it quits on the relationship.

Waiting for them to prove themselves may take too long. Helping them find the right career path may start to feel too annoying. And it’s okay to walk away if these things become true for you.

It’s not exactly your job to help a grown adult figure out what’s next in their life. You are not their parent, nor are you an authoritative figure calling the shots for their future.

If you’ve figured out what you’re doing with your life already, there’s no shame in wanting to date someone who’s also figured things out for themselves.

The best part? As soon as you start dating someone who’s gainfully employed, your financial stresses will begin to melt away.