Job solutions can be hard to come by for new mums; particularly if you don’t quite know where or how to start.
Having a baby certainly changes life! Pre-baby, chances are you enjoyed a care-free life and you probably got a lot out of your career as well. Alternatively, maybe you had a job you really liked and would otherwise have stayed in.
Once you have had a baby and said goodbye to the workforce as you once knew it, not only do you witness your baby growing into a toddler and then a little person of their own – you also see in yourself personal growth and change. Often, once a mum leaves the workforce to raise a child in those formative years, they will ask themselves the question, “What would I really like to do in life?”
Sure, being a mum is an amazing job, but many women, myself included, want to enjoy the best of both worlds: that of being a mum and that of being successful in a career.
Many mums entertain the idea of starting their own business which will allow them to work from home and be a fulltime mum at the same time. Some women will act to make this happen. Others consider the notion of working from home and dismiss it as a pipedream, because of one daunting question they must answer: What is my passion?
How passion helps to get you job solutions
Passion is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a strong liking or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.” Passion is what fuels artists to create masterpieces, directors to make movies, engineers and scientists to invent.
Therapists, psychologists, and career counsellors often say that you must have passion in what you do. Whether you’re in charge of hotel housekeeping, a writer for a magazine, or an administration assistant, you must have a strong liking and a passion to what you do.
It’s true that solutions to your work-at-home problem are based on your passions, but you also need to consider your dedication and the time you have available for your business.
All these things are nothing if you are not committed. Commitment is the art of following through and finishing what you must do. Commitment is understanding that you may be faced with challenges, but they too will pass, and you must stay focused on the end game.
Reasons for choosing work-at-home job solutions
For a long time, work-at-home jobs were considered unreliable scams. While there are still many scam artists out there who would like nothing better than to separate honest folks from their money, this is a legitimate and trending type of employment.
Virtual assistants, remote working, flexible working, telecommuting, or working from home are fast-moving trends and the workplace of the future.
How to use your passion to find you job solutions
The first way to find you a way to work from home is to hone in on your skillsets and expertise. Each of us brings a unique set of skills to the table. Throughout your life of work, every opportunity added a new experience that can be helpful. Your career training is a good place to begin with finding a job that can be performed from your home. If you’re still unsure where to start, we have a lot of articles in regarding job search.
Another approach is to think about the things in life that bring you great joy. Is it your kids? Your crafting? Your arts? Your cooking? Your technology skills? What do you enjoy doing the most? When you get a small pocket of time that’s not scheduled with other activities, what do you choose to do?
Also think about the things you enjoyed doing before you were a mum. The things you did on the weekends when you had time. What did you do? What brings you joy? You might even mentally wander back to the first job you had when you were truly happy.
Think back to your childhood and see if you can remember what you wanted to do: Often, we end up doing the very thing we wanted to do as kids.
Try to remember what you were into before you had your child(ren): Many mums find themselves so short of time, so any interests of hobbies they had pre-kids have fallen by the wayside. Try to think of the things you loved doing before your children came along.
Imagine if you could do anything at all…what would it be? Ask yourself that question and don’t be afraid to think big. Your answers will point you in the right direction.
If it was impossible to fail, what would you do: Again, this question will help you discover what it is you love.
Explore and get out there to learn more: Go to the library, search the internet, talk to people and take courses. Expose yourself to different interests and see what grabs you and then pursue it!
By identifying what you truly love, you’re one step closer to living the dream – the dream of generating an income by doing what you really love to do. Motherhood gives you the perfect opportunity to pursue and discover those things you love to do.
And when you discover them, you can create your own work from home opportunity to help you turn that dream into a reality.
Turn your passions and what you love doing into a job solution
If you are an excellent cook, you might turn your passion for cooking and start a Cooking Business From Home – like a personal chef business, a catering business, a business that supplies muffins and treats for offices, or even a menu planner (where you provide other time-poor mums with pre-planned menus that they simply follow each week when cooking for their own families).
Let’s say you adore children, yours and others. You can’t get enough of them and enjoy each moment you spend with children. It’s not your desire to “get away” from them to work, but to include them as much as possible. In that case, your work-at-home job solution might center on children in some fashion. You might tutor kids or open a family home day care. The options are endless.
If you are arty-farty and a crafter, you can turn that passion into a business of many different sorts. You might make your crafts and sell them at craft shows, or on Etsy or even on eBay. Some women have parties from home where they sell their wares. This works especially well if you are selling fashion accessories or jewellery that you make.
Maybe you have a flair for writing. Look into creating a business around copyrighting or guest blog posts. There are a lot of businesses that don’t have the time to write everything they need for their websites and you may be able to tap into that.
What other types of jobs offer opportunities and solutions for working from home?
Some other work-at-home positions to consider are: customer service support, medical transcription, medical billing, translations, , bookkeeping, healthcare triage, consulting, product testing, virtual assistance, and more.
Flexibility is a major draw for people interested in at home work. When you set your own hours, there is more time for family and personal pursuits. The income and wages may be less than you were previously used to but the trade-off is worth it for many. A variety of work-at-home jobs allow you to choose which hours of the day are best for work and which for family.
The opportunities are endless depending on your skillset, your passion, your time and your flexibility. Also see this list of business ideas.
What about workforce job solutions for new mums?
While some mums may wish to pursue a work-from-home job solution, others may wish to return to a traditional employer in the workforce but are faced with a job that just doesn’t satisfy them anymore.
If you think it is time for a change in careers, you are most likely leaning in direction of following your dreams of working in the industry of your dreams. It is unlikely that you will jump from one bad job to another so if you are seriously thinking of leaving your current job for a new one, we suggest you apply for your dream job. You do not want to waste your time in yet another job that does not satisfy you.
If you are seriously considering this, you need to do the following things to land the job of your dreams:
- Get a Clear Idea of What Your Ideal Job Is
Can you sum up in two to three sentences of what your ideal job is? You need to be able to define the exact requirements you are looking for in a job that you absolutely want. Base your requirements on your interests and hobbies, and then come up with a job description that matches them. For instance, you love to paint and want to make a career out of it, knowing that not many succeed. Just go ahead and do it.
- Learn to Sacrifice and Compromise
In the beginning of any job, you will struggle, but it is on how you handle the struggle that defines your success in the future. To deal with the setbacks, you will have to compromise on certain things. You might have to sacrifice going out to eat with friends, your car, and other things. However, the sacrifices and compromises that you make all depend on the type of job you have selected for yourself.
- Learn to Sell Your Skills
If you are a website designer, you will need to find customers who need their websites revamped. How will you find them? By calling them and selling your services, you might land a few clients. Remember, companies may not want to hire an unknown person cold calling them. In the beginning stages of your dream job, you can sell your services at no cost to them. Perhaps, they might even end up hiring you.
- Never Give Up
You might not find your dream job as soon as start looking for one. You may land interviews, but may not secure the jobs, but the key here is never to give up. You need to keep searching for your dream job regardless if takes you six months or a whole year. Since it could take you longer than you anticipate, remain at your old job or take up freelancing jobs in your field to showcase your talents.
Really what it all comes down to is genuinely loving what you do
Loving what you do is where it’s at, so do what you need to do today to discover exactly what it is that you love to do!
And starting your dream business working from home or finding your dream job out in the workforce is most definitely achievable.
If you want more ideas and inspiration, then get our ebook, Earn Extra Money Online! And join the WAHM movement! Sign up here.
