Being a mother is a difficult job. But it’s even more difficult if you wish you manage that with a professional career. Many moms who took a permanent leave from their jobs to welcome parenthood are now on the job search.
Things change after you become a parent. Especially your job search.
For a working mom, it is important now that your job requirements align with your personal goals to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
There are various job opportunities available for job seekers who are new moms. In this article, we wish will discuss the best job for moms returning to work.
Best Careers for Moms Returning to Work
It is crucial to consider some factors to find the best career options for moms returning to work. You may also want to rethink your idea of working and find a job that allows you to manage your child’s school hours while also making a regular income.
Here are some high-paying job options that you can consider after coming back from your stay-at-home mom job:
Childcare Worker
With a child of your own, no one else would do a better job taking care of others’ kids for a living. You have the motherly instincts, understand the children’s care, and what parenting skills you need.
Childcare services offer a lot of money since other moms would pay more for a professional, especially if they can discuss the terms of employment, two moms face to face.
These jobs allow full time workers and part time workers option so you can decide and work schedule that suit you and your kid’s school hours best.
Hospitality Worker
Working in the hospitality industry could also be an excellent way to get back in the field. It offers work hours that can accommodate your requirements. You could efficiently be working and taking care of your child.
Hospitality jobs also allow you to interact with people and have new daily experiences.
Waitressing jobs offer good money by the hour, flexible timings, and a much-needed workout for a mother by making them stand on their feet all the time.
There are other higher-paying jobs such as bartender, restaurant assistant, etc.
Join an Apprenticeship
It is a practical option if you plan to join an apprenticeship program. It is beneficial if you are a mother and have a long career gap to make up for.
These apprenticeships offer career opportunities in various fields, offering full-time jobs primarily.
Moreover, several women-centric programs offer jobs to new moms looking to restart their careers after a gap.
Freelancer
You could always start as freelance workers and turn the opportunity into a short-term or long-term career. Freelancing mainly includes work-from-home jobs that allow you to work on negotiable terms and are considered flexible jobs unlike the 9-6 office jobs.
Many career options, including catering, writing, editing, online teaching, etc., can be done through freelancing with clients.
The good thing about freelancing is that you can be your manager and get paid well, if you have good negotiation skills.
Cleaner
It may not be the best choice for a career restart for you, but it pays well.
Cleaning jobs allow you to work early while also paying you good money. If you are a morning person, you could quickly complete your work before noon and be home to take care of your kids.
However, working as a cleaner would require you to be energetic as it is not a difficult job.
Part-Time Office Assistant
If you wish to go back to office work, you could apply for a part-time office assistant position. It allows you to work flexible hours with good pay.
For a detail-oriented expert with computer skills, the office assistant post will allow you to showcase your talent. It may even get you noticed for a better full-time opportunity within the company.
Call Handler or Telemarketer
There are a lot of companies looking for telemarketers. This entry-level job may fit you to become a working mom.
With your at-home patience and soft skills with children at home, you could use these to your advantage as a telemarketer. Plus, the earrings are pretty good.
You could apply for a part-time job, positions that allow you to have home based call handler job, or as a freelancing agent for multiple clients.
However, applying for a profile in a call center is best so that you have more exposure and better learning to use later.
Personal Care Aide
This profile is a better payment option than most entry-level jobs for mothers wishing to return to work. With the relevant skills in caring for children, you are best suited as a personal care aid.
While the main job is to help people with their personal and household needs, it is an excellent profile for anyone looking for specific work hours.
You can always discuss your availability with your client and set up a schedule accordingly. However, in some states, you may require a license to be eligible for this work.
Sales Clerk
Sales jobs are an excellent opportunity for mothers who like to socialize and advise others on what to buy and what not to buy. It also offers additional benefits in product samples, employee discounts, etc.
Moreover, the pay is good in sales. Now, for anyone with a persuasive attitude, this is one of the most suitable jobs to restart your career.
Library Assistant
The post of library assistant requires you to keep the bookshelves organized and take care of any events, especially for young kids. And as a mother, you are already doing that part for your kids.
This profession allows you to have a social circle outside your house, with ample physical tasks to perform.
Best Websites for Moms Returning to Work
For women looking for work after leaving to take care of their families, there are many online options to help them find the perfect job.
Below are some of the best websites that you can access to find a job to return to your career:
Path Forward
This website focuses on bringing back women to their professions by offering paid internships. A non-profit organization, Path Forward, offers a platform to individuals and companies to help find the perfect match.
Ellevate
A networking platform, Ellevate, helps women connect.
It mainly focuses on guiding women looking to restart their careers by offering mentorship programs and increasing their chances of getting stable employment.
ReacHIRE
ReacHIRE works on bringing women out of their career break. This company helps women with office based training options to help them return to work and offers them paid opportunities.
An online website by ReacHIRE is set up to support women with guidance and tips to find a job. As a result, several stay-at-home moms has found their way back into their jobs.
The Second Shift
For women worried about going back to proper 9-hour office jobs, The Second Shift offers a helping hand. An online site that helps job seekers find part-time projects, The Second Shift supports talented women in finding the right opportunities using an app.
The Second Shift allows women to network with companies and sets terms of employment that work for them.
Simplr
With the main motive to offer remote jobs to people all over the country, Simplr connects remote workers to companies. For women looking to go back to working again, this is an excellent online platform to find the right start.
With Simple, you can easily access job opportunities that suit you best. You can also get trained for career-specific knowledge using the Simplr app.
Working Moms Against Guilt
The Working Moms Against Guilt offers an online community to those moms who are on the lookout for a new job. You will access a list of mummy-friendly organizations and resources to get the right job.
Working Moms Against Guilt offers a comfortable path to finding a good job offer for the moms who want to be working but also want to take it easy.
Fairygodboss
Initially started as a site to allow women to rate and review their employers, Fairygodboss has become much more than that. Now, you can use this platform to network with other professionals.
The Fairygodboss site has everything you need with content varying from job listings to blog articles, online sessions, and information on which companies offer what benefits to their employees.
Hire My Mom
As more women seek flexible or part-time jobs, a company called Hire My Mom has come out as the savior.
Helping professionals connect with companies that offer jobs as per their liking, Hire My Mom allows women to have a career without needing to be in an office.
You also get to work with companies thoroughly screened by HMM for the best employment experience.
iRelaunch
iRelaunch is considered a place for all professional solutions. Whether creating a resume for you or helping you choose the right career path, it is the place to be.
With a community including several institutes and brands, this website offers networking opportunities to several thousand job seekers.
It mainly offers help to adults, including mothers, who wish to return to work. They also welcome newcomers with a starter kit called ‘return to work.’
The Mom Project
Another one on the list is The Mom Project, known best for its support to women looking for work. The Mom Project focuses on mothers who wish to start their professional lives while also wanting to be with their families.
With its own initiative called the MaternityShip program, The Mom Project has been helping women on parental leave get aligned with temporary employees and supports them to have their jobs back upon return.
Power to Fly
The primary purpose of Power to Fly is to help women get the best technology jobs. It offers job postings, company reviews, and counseling on which career is best for you.
You can also do video chats with experts from the industry to understand the jobs that will suit you best while assuring work-life balance.
Companies That Hire Moms Returning to Work
With changing work culture, companies are also becoming active advocates of women in the workplace. Several companies have implemented policies to support women returning to work after maternity leave.
Here is a list of some known brands that are helping women professionals get back to work:
FleishmanHillard
A PR company, FleishmanHillard is known for its support for women executives. More than half of FleishmanHillard’s offices are managed by women.
The company offers complete support and welfare benefits to moms to help them adjust to working after entering the new phase of life. FleishmanHillard has been awarded as the top workplace for women executives by the National Association of Female Executives.
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems has also supported mothers to help them get over work related stress in the office. As a part of their employee well-being services, mothers’ or lactation rooms are accessible with all necessities and furniture to make them comfortable when in the office.
They also provide flexible time offs for mothers to help them efficiently manage work and family time.
Care.com
Another company that considers the well-being of its women employees as one of its key priorities is Care.com. This company has supported its women staff with wellness packages, including paid maternity leave for 12 weeks, a health insurance plan, and paid time off.
Besides this, Care.com is famous for offering work manicure services, free snacks, and shuttle services to ensure safety during travel.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson offers a robust well-being plan to full-time workers. They offer paid maternity leave to would-be-moms that last up to 15 weeks.
They also offer financial support worth $35,000 for fertility medical help and $20,000 for child adoption or surrogacy plans.
American Express
American Express supports parental leaves, allowing moms with 20 weeks plus up to 8 weeks off extra care leaves and dads with 20 weeks of parental leave.
Moreover, American Express encourages employees to look at fertility alternatives with a lifetime bonus of up to $35,000 to help with medical costs.
10 Highest-Paying Jobs for Moms Returning to Work
For women wanting to earn money while also taking care of their family, here are some of the highest-paying jobs that can help you make the return to work easier:
Web Developer and Digital Designer
For new mothers, web developers and digital designers are two great options if you are looking for legitimate home based jobs.
You get to make huge money from a home based position. Although you would require specialization in these fields, these are among the highest-paying best jobs.
Most of the time, companies do not expect you to come to work to perform your job.
You can also go for freelancing options in these fields and do your own thing, at your terms and conditions.
Registered Nurse
You can get registered as a nurse and find a job that allows flexible schedule. You could look for home care requirements for patients that need an aide from home.
It will allow you to perform your duties outside a hospital and with work hours mutually agreed upon between you and your client.
Nurses that work on hourly pay make good money and get to practice their medical degrees.
Writer and Author
If you are a capable storyteller, you can also work as a part-time or work-from-home writer. Writing jobs pay well, allows you to have long busy periods worth work, and there is plenty of opportunities available online.
You could also co-author books for other authors or write your own while staying at home with your family.
Human Resource Specialist
Part-time opportunities in the human resources department can also prove helpful to someone with organizational skills looking to start working again.
The Human Resource Specialist position falls under entry level positions that offers good pay with the opportunity to move up the career ladder in the field while ensuring job security.
Part of the job is coordinating with potential candidates and aligning interviews with the leading recruiters.
Digital Marketer
With several positions for freelancers, you can now get an associate’s degree in digital marketing or go for a short-term course and work from the comforts of your home.
The job pays well and is a required position at most companies now. You could do a part-time, freelancing, or full-time job as a digital marketer.
Elementary School Teacher
A low-pressure job, being an elementary school teacher requires minimum skills but ample patience, especially since you’ll be dealing with kids; as a mother, that should be an easy job.
This job pays enough money to get you started on your career while offering professional development. As an elementary school teacher, you get to co ordinate kid’s clubs, learn office administration since the job does not require hard core teaching.
You could also work as a part-timer and act as a temporary teacher for the elementary school.
Interpreter and Translator
If you have linguistic capabilities and right communication skills, you could make easy money by offering your services as an online TEFL teacher.
With the relevant experience, you could also for apply for part-time or freelancing work-from-home projects with good pay as a translator.
Moreover, as an expert interpreter, you can make good money but would require you to visit clients. However, there’s always the option of video conferencing.
Fitness Trainer and Instructor
You can work as a fitness instructor or trainer if you are a fitness freak. You can work in a gym part-time or full-time. Now, virtual assistant training is an option that more and more people are considering.
So, if you are into fitness, you could try this as a career path.
Customer Support Representative
With virtual offices becoming a thing, you could apply for a customer support job. These jobs are now readily available with work-from-home options and pay well.
It could be a good start with professional development potential for any mom looking for a job after a gap.
Home Health and Personal Care Aide
As a mother, you are already used to caring for your family and house chores. There are two major job profiles under this category.
Physical therapist aide requires the right skills to help the patient recover from their medical condition.
Occupational therapist aide involves helping with the setup relating to medical equipment or clerical tasks for the patient. These aiders are involved with supporting their clients with all home-based services.
The good thing about these jobs is that you get to pick your working hours and have a flexible schedule.
Tips for Finding Success for Moms Returning to Work
For mothers wanting to go back to work, it is crucial to remember some tips to make their work-life balance better and hassle-free:
Suitability
Remember to check the suitability of the job as per your requirement. You must ensure to put your points forward when accepting a job.
Work hours, schedule, office timings, and job descriptions will help you get clarity on whether a job is suitable for you or not.
Acquire Transferable Skills
Ensure that you learn new skills that apply to multiple jobs. Specialization in a skill is good, but it is even better if you can use it for another job.
Update Your Resume
Make sure your resume is up to date with the latest additions you have made to your skillset or part-time jobs you have taken in the past. It helps if you acquire new skills in your free time.
Reach Out to Recruiters
Once you are ready to move, reach out to recruiters specializing in your field. These recruiters will find you appropriate opportunities.
You could also share your requirements or conditions, given that you have a family now. It would help them filter the job offers accordingly.
Send Multiple Applications
It is always best to send more than one application when applying for jobs. It helps you have choices when you finally have job offers. Also, it increases your chances of getting a job that would suit you best.
What Home-Based Jobs for Moms Should be Avoided?
Here are some of the work-from-home jobs that moms should avoid at all costs:
- Envelope stuffing
- Processing rebates
- Network marketing
- Cold calling
- Mystery shopping
- Pay-per task job
Interview Tips for Moms Returning to Work
For any mom returning to work, below are some essential interview tips:
- Prepare in advance. Stay confident.
- Create a professional network to get the right opportunities.
- Be professional during the interview, maintain proper body language
- Dress up professionally. It helps uplift your confidence.
- Be assertive when responding to questions.
These basics will help you get through the interview and may even find you the perfect job.
FAQ’s
Below are some frequently asked questions to help you with a job:
Is it hard to get a job after being a stay-at-home mom?
No, it is not difficult to find a job after being a stay-at-home mom. With several platforms available now, you can find a work-from-home or part-time job for yourself anytime.
What is the best career for a Returning to Work mom?
For a returning to work mom, the best career option would be one that allows you to use your skillset while also letting you have a flexible schedule. Also, career options allow you to do this while paying you good money.
When It Is Better to Re-Enter a Workplace After Having a Child?
Once you have spent considerable time resting and are medically fit to work again, you should try to re-enter an office. Also, when you wish to return to work, it is always up to you. There is no set rule, and it is all about your willingness.