Thursday, July 27, 2017

5 Fulfilling Jobs to Consider When You’re a Mom

Hi, working mamas! I was inspired to write this blog post because I get messages from my readers asking me for job suggestions since they want my situation—earning a living while being with my kids. I did blog about how not all parents can take to the blogger/freelance life (the income is erratic, for example). Now that my kids are older, I'm starting to think of a job that will give me regular pay checks, too!

Mom bloggers Nikki Tiu, Jackie Go and myself actually have other jobs!

Many moms find blogging as a glamorous career—like when we mom bloggers do photo shoots like above. But what you don't see is that we mom bloggers have other jobs doing what we really love. Yes, because for a lot of moms blogging is the platform to talk about what we love. Blogging is not the real job (although sometimes, it's the one that pays most!). I also want to point out that we mom bloggers have to wear many hats to supplement the blogging income that we do sometimes get. For example, Nikki Tiu is a makeup artist, makeup trainer, brand consultant, and HR consultant. Jackie Go is a commercial model and owns a business. Me, I'm a freelance writer, an editorial consultant, and I do PR and am a blogger handler for agencies sometimes. Lots of hats! That's because we mommies are always looking for ways to earn money while being there for our family.

When you’re a mom, it isn’t always easy to find a job that suits your needs. Not only do you have to think about finding a career that you’ll enjoy, but you also have to factor in flexibility, pay, and childcare, too! So many moms end up working retail jobs they hate because the hours fit around childcare, or they end up never seeing their kids because that job that pays well has long hours. It doesn’t have to be that way!

Okay, since I'm seriously considering changing careers (because careers for writers and editors are dwindling), I'm going to share with you mommies what I've been looking at. So without further ado, here are some truly fulfilling jobs that are perfect for moms:

1. Early Years Education
If you're a mommy of older kids but now you miss babies and toddlers, what could be better than spending your days caring for little kids? Working in early years education is a great way to balance your responsibilities as a mom with a great career. You can earn an early childhood education degree online, and then you’ll be able to work in kindergartens, daycare centers, or even as a childcare professional within your own home, earning a living in a way that truly fits in with your family life and your mommy responsibilities.

I'm actually thinking about this because I used to be a preschool teacher and there's a preschool very near my home. My other mommy friends and I have also thought of putting up a playschool, but that didn't pan out because it's going to take a lot of money! But I'm still dreaming of it! If you want to be my business partner, let's put up a daycare center! 

2. Tutor
If you love kids and teaching, you can make a very good living as a tutor. I know because I've been asking around for tutors' rates and it's about P500 an hour. If you tutor just 4 kids a day, that's already P2,000 for half a day's work! That's P10,000 a week, mommies! I'm thinking this is something I can do—from tutoring kids to teaching English to Koreans! 

You might need to go back to college to get education credits or to update yourself with new methods (like Singapore Math and the like), but once you’re qualified, you’ll be able to offer your services in any way you say fit. You could teach kids in your own home, thus ensuring you’ll be around for your own kids; you could become a mobile tutor, traveling to your clients’ homes at a time that is mutually beneficial; or you could open your own tutorial center!

3. Music teacher
Same as being a tutor, teaching music is big business. I asked around for my kids and for 12 sessions, it's about as low as P5,000 to as high as P12,000 to teach kids to sing or play the guitar/piano/drums/violin/etc. The great thing about teaching music, unlike tutoring, is your students don't need to be kids. Your students can be as young as 3 to as old as 80! You'll always have work!

Now, sadly for me, I don't know how to play any instrument, but my brother does (cello, piano, drums, bass, guitar, etc!) and he knows a lot of musicians so I'm seriously considering asking him to put up a music school with me. 

4. Financial Planning
If you have a degree in accountancy or similar, or you’re willing to get a financial planning qualification online, you can set yourself up as a financial planner from your home and set your own schedule. You’ll be able to make a good living, working around your family commitments, and you’ll be able to put your brain to good use, which is something a lot of moms really miss when they take convenience jobs over jobs they love for the sake of their kids.

I've thought about this because my financial planner keeps asking me to consider it. Maybe one day! If there's one financial job I wish there was more of, it's accountants. So many Filipinos now work from home or are bloggers and we all need accountants to help with our business. 

5. Freelance services
Last but not the least because this is where I am, try freelance work. If you have a skill, any skill, you can work freelance on your own terms. Selling skills like writing, book editing, web designing, graphic design and literally anything you can do well, you can find someone who is willing to pay for that service. For example, I write for magazines and websites. It doesn't pay as well as blogging but it's something I enjoy very much. Most of the time you’ll be able to do your freelance work from your own home, or at least at a time and place that is suitable for you and your family.

Obviously, this is just the tip of the iceberg, since there are other careers mommies can look at. There's selling homemade products, driving an Uber or a Grab—in fact I blogged about how my former magazine editor friends transitioned to other jobs here: Work-from-Home Careers for Busy Moms. And of course, there's professional blogging, which is something a lot of mommies still consider. If you've been a blogger for a while and hope to make your blog make money, I'm doing a workshop next month! It's another Boss Bellas workshop from me and my friend Ginger Arboleda.  

Sign up here!

I hope this post has highlighted that there are many fulfilling career options out there for moms trying to get the right work-life balance. Good luck, mamas!

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