Have you been in the role of a stay-at-home mom for the past few years and you’re now looking to get back into the workforce? It can be a scary and exciting time, as there are all kinds of paths and opportunities you can grab onto. Obviously, you want to focus on a career that speaks to your own talents, skills, and background, but is also interesting to you and that you hopefully feel passionate about.
If you’re trying to figure out the best path in order to get back into the workforce, here are six jobs that could be perfect for you. Keep in mind that the definition of a ‘perfect job’ will differ from person to person depending on your own needs and expectations.
Child Care Provider
Here’s a job that speaks to your skills as a mother and that’s a child care provider. You can actually take a couple of different routes here, either working at a childcare center or opening up your own child care services in your home. This can be a flexible option for moms that want to get into the workforce, but want to be able to work from home.
In this job, your responsibilities are obviously to supervise the kids, but it will also be to: make meals and feed them; change diapers or help with the potty; help kids to interact with one another; provide a level of education to the day; set up activities for the kids to do; encourage naptime, and so forth. It’s the kind of job where each day will be unique.
Nursing
As a mom there is no doubt you have that maternal instinct that makes it possible for you to care for your children, understanding what they need when they need it. This is the exact kind of trait that can make for a perfect nurse. And with nurses being in such high demand across the country right now, it also makes good career sense.
So, what’s the best route to getting started in this career? You may want to look into the online accelerated BSN programs for non-nurses at a top-notch online school like Baylor University. Because this program is meant for non-nurses, you know you can start from scratch and set yourself up for a rewarding career in the medical field.
Office Administrator or Assistant
If you like the idea of working in an office environment and having those set office hours, then it may make sense to pursue a career as an office administrator or assistant. This can either be a full or part-time job depending on what you’re able to take on. Companies of all sizes and in all industries require office administrators, so this also opens the door to a lot of opportunities.
As an administrative assistant, the average median pay according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is $39,850. Of course, that will depend on the industry, the size of the company, and the duties you’ll need to take on. The main responsibilities in this job include scheduling meetings and appointments, answering phones, filing, dealing with incoming and outgoing mail, and you may even need to do some basic bookkeeping duties.
While not exactly the same, another big job right now is that of a virtual assistant. This position allows you to work remotely from your home and provide a variety of services such as scheduling appointments, making calls, answering emails, and so forth. It’s a different take on the traditional office administrative role.
Tutoring
If you want to have a flexible schedule and not be tied down to 40 hours a week, a job as a tutor could be ideal. Here’s where your mom skills can come in handy again, as they can help you to relate to the kids a little easier. As a tutor, you will be able to help kids in a variety of topics, so you may wish to specialize in one or two. Again, you’ve got the choice of working with a tutoring service/company or starting your own tutoring business.
The most common subjects that tutors are hired for are English, science, math, and a second language.
Call Center Representative
These jobs are perfect for the person who wants to work remotely, but still wants a full-time position. As a call center representative, the hours may be flexible too in that you are working in the afternoons, evenings, or overnight depending on the company. This can work well with your own schedule at home with the kids.
The great news is that you don’t need much in terms of prior experience or training, as these companies will often provide you with all the training material and resources you need. You will just need to have a home office, or a space that is quiet enough for you to work and concentrate.
Retail Sales
If you like the idea of being social in your job and connecting with the public then retail sales could be perfect. Again, you don’t have to have experience to get into retail sales and there are opportunities to work your way up to a supervisor position, department manager, or even a store manager. In other words, it doesn’t have to stay as an entry-level job if you don’t want it to be.
The one thing to be aware of with retail sales is that the hours can be all over the place. You may need to work evenings and weekends depending on the store hours. Also, your schedule may not be set, meaning it differs from week to week.
As a mom who is looking to get back into the workforce after an extended time away, it’s perfectly normal to feel hesitant and a bit worried, but the fact is that there are a lot of options out there. This is just a very small look at the many jobs that could be perfect for you as you re-enter the workforce.
