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It doesn't matter whether you're a first-time mom, a mom with more than one child, or if you have a partner at home. Balancing family and work is difficult.
You’re probably at a stage in life where you're trying to support your family but still thinking about your professional career. A flexible job that allows you to work from home might be your best friend.
Finding the best work-from-home jobs for moms isn't as easy as you think — but there are some great ones out there if you know where to look.
Jobs for stay-at-home moms still have some downsides, so we're here to explain all the important aspects of remote work and why remote work is a great option for moms in the first place.
Remote work: The ultimate ally
Achieving a balance between professional and personal lives as a mom is challenging. You want to be present when you’re at work and home with your family. But sometimes, work pulls you away from your home responsibilities, and vice versa.
Since remote work schedules are more flexible, they eliminate commutes and allow you to spend more quality time with your family. Whether it’s a full-time job or just a side hustle for extra income, you can adjust your workload as needed.
Apart from moms, a lot of people want to work from home. One survey found that 70% of workers want to work remotely or have a hybrid model after the pandemic is over. With remote work or hybrid models gaining popularity among workers, it’s great news for moms looking for job opportunities.
More companies will consider remote or part-time options, and moms can take advantage of them.
If your job before was in-person and you want to switch to remote working, BetterUp can help you make that transition. We can help you overcome the challenges of adjusting to a new way of working and managing your valuable time.
10 best work-from-home jobs for moms
The best work-from-home job for you might be completely different than someone else. Some require a bachelor's degree, while others are the best jobs for stay-at-home moms with no experience. You can find full-time work, side gigs to earn extra money, or part-time jobs for moms at home. The point is that you decide what your work-from-home job will be.
To paint a better picture of what a work-from-home job could look like, we've compiled a list of 10 jobs you can do remotely, and an estimated salary for each of them:
1. Proofreader
Can you point out and notice every small detail? Are you a grammar wizard? A proofreader can do their work at home on a freelance, part-time, or full-time basis on various projects.
2. Virtual Assistant
Administrative assistants handle tasks like calendar and email management, research, travel arrangements, and more. Websites like Fiverr helps you market your specific skill sets and let potential employers know how much work you're able to take on. Your ability to find a virtual assistant is high with the remote work shift.
3. Writer/journalist
Whether you're a blogger, freelance writer for magazines, or a novelist, you can apply your writing skills anywhere. Think of topics you have experience with, a personal connection to, or a passion for, and run with that. Freelance writing also allows you to take breaks from assignments when you need more time to focus on your family.
4. Small business owner
Estimated salary: N/A
Are you crafty? Do you have clothes you want to sell? Your small business doesn't have to have physical walls. You won’t have to set up a vendor at a flea market when you have sites like eBay and Etsy to sell your products on. If you’re looking at your own start-up, the demands on your time will be immense. The salary for this role varies, depending on how much time you invest.
5. Data entry clerk
Many businesses and companies need someone to do their bookkeeping and data entry. It can also be a part-time or seasonal job, like voter registration. But companies could need someone on an ongoing basis to help log in data as they conduct research. You could be that someone.
6. Online tutor
People of all ages need a tutor. If you're strong in a certain subject, see if you can find opportunities to share that knowledge.
7. Social media specialist
You don't have to be an influencer to know how to create a successful social media page. Brands need people to create social media posts, grow their audience, and help with search engine optimization (SEO) on various social media platforms.
8. Web designer
Being a web designer is your chance to flex your graphic design skills. You’d be the one to create a stellar website for people, brands, or local businesses. Web designers can easily also work on a freelance basis if part-time or full-time is too much.
9. Customer service representative
People need customer service representatives for clothing brands, banks, internet companies, and more. Your skillsets should be centered around customer service and administrative tasks if you’re choosing this route. Just make sure that you have a quiet enough space for taking calls.
10. Transcriptionist
Transcription software isn’t always accurate. That's why a person like yourself can transcribe away in your home. People need transcriptions for interviews, reports, and fact-checking, so you’d work in various industries.
The downsides of working from home
It's the positive aspects of work-from-home jobs that we hear about most often. But that doesn't mean there aren't any downsides or challenges to remote work.
Working from home makes it tempting to do nothing but work sometimes. It's something that easily consumes us, which leads to burnout. We need to have a healthy work-life balance for our family's sake, and so we must establish limits on how much we work or our work hours throughout the day.
Another downside of doing work-from-home is our internet connection. One study done in 2020 found that an estimated 42.8 million Americans didn't have stable broadband to work productively from home without internet problems. If we have poor internet connection, we aren't able to log onto the programs our online job demands.
And while the pandemic has opened up more opportunities for moms to take advantage of remote work, it doesn't mean it's smooth sailing for everyone. The Pew Research Center has found several ways the pandemic challenged working moms, including while doing remote work.
One of their surveys found that 54% of working moms struggled to balance their work and parenting responsibilities. Plus, out of the moms in opposite-sex relationships, 74% said they took care of their children more than their partner, which cut into their ability to work productively.
And if all single mom jobs from home were fully remote, they wouldn’t have a partner to help them with at-home responsibilities. Daycare and childcare can be expensive, so finding a job that let’s you work when you can — like during nap time or after dinner — will increase your work-from-home opportunities.
How to job hunt as a mom
Even if you're motivated to find a remote job, it's still helpful to learn some tips for the job search. Like any other job hunt, it sometimes makes you feel lost.
Here are eight tips to help you on your job search:
- Begin with some shadow work to decide what work is best for you and fits your needs
- Network within the industry to learn tips or hear advice from other professionals
- Find companies you admire and keep an eye on their hiring pages
- Look on remote work specific job sites for postings
- Take a few online courses to sharpen your skills and refresh yourself
- Practice your interviewing skills with your partner or friends
- Create a website that shows off your skills and portfolio
- Widen your search to companies far away if the work is all remote
When’s the best time to return to work after becoming a mom?
The best time to return to work as a new mom is a tough question. The short answer is that there’s no exact time you should go back to work after becoming a mother, as it depends on your situation. Your preferences and lifestyle might differ from another mom's, so there's no sense in comparing yourself to others.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that 73% of women return to work within six months of becoming mothers. But some of these moms return because they run out of paid medical leave and risk losing their jobs or need the income to alleviate financial stress.
Just because others are doing it doesn't mean you have to rush yourself. If you have the means, take all the time you need. And listen to your mind and body. If you aren't ready now, you deserve a break. If you rush yourself, you could burn yourself out and harm your well-being.
Some of the best work-from-home jobs for moms could replace your previous career. While the law prohibits employers from discriminating against you based on your pregnancy and recent motherhood, prolonged maternity leave might lead to a potential loss of income. Finding a more flexible role might be just what you need.
Take it easy
As you think about when you want to return to work, remember to have patience and self-compassion. If you're looking for a new job as a mom, don't forget to slow down and give yourself a break. Stay-at-home mom careers take resilience, as they’re likely new to you.
You're trying to adjust to a new stage of life after some big changes. Remember to be kind to yourself because things may not go exactly to plan right away.
If you're checking out new remote jobs, brush up on some tips for working at home. Some tips will work for you, but some won't. That’s OK — everyone’s different.
Don't hesitate to ask for help
The best work-from-home jobs for moms vary from parent to parent. What might be the ideal job for one mom could be the opposite for someone else. That's why we need to take this journey at our own pace.
Going back to work after maternity leave is difficult. It's tough to balance our family and our professional career, so asking for help is something we need to become comfortable doing. We could ask our managers, coworkers, or friends for help as we adjust to working again. But for our mental health, seeking help from a professional benefits our well-being in ways that our friends cannot.
Whenever our time comes that we rejoin the workforce, whether it's part-time, full-time, or on a freelance basis, we must make sure that we're ready to do so.
Find someone who will help you navigate this new stage of your life. At BetterUp, our coaches can provide the guidance you need to understand when you're ready to return to work and what kind of work you want to do.
