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Career Considerations for Parents

May 20, 2019 by Bethanie Ryan

Mom looking online for work that will work with her family

The best career for parents meets the needs of the family. In American culture, we tend to think of careers in terms of money, how much can be made, how much can be bought. What’s left out of that equation is economic status and scheduling. For some, these factors can be determinant of a career choice even debilitating at times. So what if we didn’t ignore them? What if we used them?

When I found myself in a pinch, I discovered the best way to get food on the table was to deliver it. Inevitably, an order would be filled wrong, a customer would change his/her mind, and that already-made food would be mine to take home.

When I needed child care, I sought others in the same situation and started baby-sitting where I could not only earn money but raise up my own children as well.

If your children are at school all day, watch for jobs opening at their campus. Most schools post online when jobs open up in administration, after-school care, bus driving, cafeteria, janitorial, landscaping, and more. Staying close to the school and on the same calendar can be a great opportunity for income without scheduling hassle. If they are not posting, find out what companies serve these departments and go straight to the source. Some schools contract with a certain landscaping company or a specific food service agency. That is another avenue to staying close to your children while earning an income.

The gig economy and work-from-home opportunities are numerous and use your family car, your home, or your internet connection to provide a service for income.

I’ve met parents who are excellent at volunteering for service exchange, and that could provide a much needed resource to the family. Programs such as Big Brother/Big Sister, Job Corps, AmeriCorps, and other nonprofits need personnel from time to time and have a focus on providing for families.

Think about skills that you have that may not require a degree or time-consuming training to launch a career: web development/coding, writing/blogging, public relations/coaching, tax preparation, bartending, cleaning, consulting, event planning, real estate, sales.

Notice what is needed in your area. Whether your community focuses on technology or agriculture, this could guide you toward finding what is already available locally.

It’s worth considering what job as a child you wanted to grow into. Many of the assistant positions (physicians, dental, veterinarian, teaching) could get you into the field of interest without elongated academic preparation or a full-time career schedule. Some civil service careers have entry-level opportunities or volunteer opportunities that will get you trained and certified in a much-needed field; I know several parents who use reserve military contracts much the same way.

Some may have the opportunity to start afresh as a parent going to school to establish a more stable and consistent income. The three questions to ask yourself are:
1. What am I good at or interested in?
2. What serves my family well?
3. Will this pay off?

These can launch you into a new chapter of life with the motivation to use your opportunity.

Whatever your path, focusing on your family’s distinct needs, your skills, and your interests may start a hope for a better life.

By Yaki Cahoon

Filed Under: Build a Career, Work Tagged With: job hunt, job search, looking for a job, looking for work

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If you need help dealing with loss, please reach out to a qualified grief counselor. It can seem so hopeless and terrifying right now, especially for those of us with young children left speechless as we figure out how to explain to them such devastating world events. We invite you to read our Women Deserve Better article, "7 Tips on How to Talk to Your Child About Scary News." And then, be sure to hug your loved ones tight.www.womendeservebetter.com/7-tips-on-how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-scary-news ... See MoreSee Less

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Check out "Learn the Basics of Unemployment Benefi Check out "Learn the Basics of Unemployment Benefits," courtesy of Women Deserve Better Expert and legal aid attorney Susan Schoppa.
https://www.womendeservebetter.com/learn-the-basics-of...

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A woman out of work recently sent us the following A woman out of work recently sent us the following email. We wanted to share her thoughts with you:
The most common feelings I experience as an unemployed job seeker: 
1. Rejection/Sorrow. Something is wrong with me… because it cannot be that I don't have more than the required training or education or experience... so it must be me.
2. Anxiety from inadequacy of effort. Something would come along if I just tried harder (more than daily searches, weekly job clubs, outreaches on LinkedIn, etc.).
3. Aloneness. Other people with fewer skills, less education and experience… are getting jobs. They won't understand how alone I am in this. Other people must have a lot of resources to not have to work for this long, and I am barely making it and can't afford things now. I am alone in this.
4. Hopelessness. Scores of applications and letters to employers have gone unanswered for weeks and now months. What's the use?
5. Blaming myself and/or self-doubt. Why didn't I see the writing on the wall and find something while I still had a job? I guess I really am as stupid as these employers think I am.
6. Confusion. I am now out of my routine, so things don't fall into place like they once did. Am I getting dementia? Is this normal?
7. Anger. If my employer thought I was so great to give me a very good review several years in a row, why haven't they told me of other available jobs after this one ended? Shame on them!
8. Embarrassment. People may think I lost my job because I was a marginal or lazy employee. They don't know how hard I worked, and that the termination was due to issues not of my doing. They may see me as someone who deserved this.
9. Fear. What if I can't find a job in time before we lose our place to live?
10. Happiness. It can be a good thing to start over sometimes.
Have you ever felt like this woman? Please know that there is help. Check out our latest article on Women Deserve Better, "Find Help When You Can’t Find a Job":
https://www.womendeservebetter.com/find-help-when-

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Are you struggling to pay your rent or mortgage? A Are you struggling to pay your rent or mortgage? Are you worried about losing your home? Here is some information about what could happen if you can't pay all of your rent or mortgage, courtesy of Women Deserve Better Expert and legal aid attorney Susan Schoppa.

www.womendeservebetter.com/how-to-find-legal-help-for-evictions-and-foreclosures 

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