Returning to Work as a Mom: 10 Best Career Options

The Pew Research Center claims that about 70% of mothers who have children under 18 have a career and a good salary.

To say the truth, during the last 2 decades, there are more moms who have work.

The main reason is that there are more career options that offer a flexible schedule, part-time and home-based work.

Most moms think that it is too hard or even impossible to re-enter the workplace because they lack the required skills.

Nevertheless, the limited work experience shouldn’t hold you back if you want to return to work after becoming a mother.

In fact, most employers are ready to provide some on-the-job training and will appreciate the skills you have.

In this article, we’ve collected info about 10 careers that can be great for moms due to their flexibility.

All of them are family-friendly and we think you’ll be able to find at least one that suits you.

Also, we’ve made a list of careers that should be avoided.

Moreover, there are some tips for moms that are wondering where they can find some support.

When It Is Better to Re-Enter a Workplace After Having a Child?

In fact, there is no concrete answer to this question as there are numerous aspects that influence it.

As there are lots of conflicting priorities, it is hard to say when it is the right time.

In most cases, mothers return to work as soon as their child is about 5-6 years old.

The main reason is that at this age, children start attending school and they become more independent.

Also, there are moms who prefer to restart their career long before their children are 5.

According to BMJ research:

Mothers who are unemployed in a year after giving birth are more anxious than those who have a job.

They tend to worry about their finances and career possibilities more.

In other words, some mothers prefer to return to their job as soon as possible after having a child.

To say the truth it is not important whether you are a new mom or you’ve cared about your children for years, there are still lots of career options.

Some of the best mom-friendly careers can be found in this article.

What Career Options Are Available for Mothers?

You should understand that both childcare and work are absolutely responsible activities.

In other words, it is a big challenge to keep your balance and perform both duties well even if your child is old enough.

So, how is it possible to manage successfully both these activities?

In fact:

As a mom looking for a job, you should consider three options that are available for you:

• Work Part-Time is a great option as you can combine your job and childcare. For example, you can work while your child is at school or your family members can take care of your child.
• Work Full-Time while having a flexible schedule. Some employers can give you an opportunity to change your start and end time, or work more during certain days so you can have more days off, or even work at home sometimes. Just keep in mind that it can be hard to find such a job as according to the Department of Labor, only about 10% of workers can get such a job.
• Work for Yourself is another great option. You can work as a freelancer so you can stay at home. Also, it is a good choice as you can decide whether you want a full-time or a part-time job.

In case, you haven’t been working for a long period of time, you should consider entering some part-time job.

If you are thinking of a full-time career, you should keep in mind that it can be really overwhelming.

Also, if your child is too young, it can be hard for you to work 40 hours per week and keep caring about your baby.

Speaking of home-based options:

They offer the most flexible schedule nevertheless it lives you less time on communication so you may feel isolated from others.

Of course, not all these jobs will isolate you as there are some options that will give you an opportunity to communicate with others.

Advantages of Being a Working Mom

As it was mentioned before, it is not so easy to decide when it is better to return to work after giving birth.

Of course, there can be lots of benefits of returning to work nevertheless such decision can cause lots of difficulties.

First of all, let’s begin with the advantages of being a working mother.

Extra Income

It is not a secret that some extra money is really important when you have a baby.

In fact, childcare is really expensive but if you start working when your child is at school, you won’t waste all your salary on childcare.

Develop New Skills

Learning something new helps us to become better and develop and in most cases work gives us such an opportunity.

If you start a full-time job after your kids leave home, you can get some great opportunities for developing your skills.

Socializing

Entering a job, you have an opportunity to meet lots of new people that you wouldn’t be able to meet otherwise.

It is a great opportunity as you can learn lots of new things about yourself and make your life richer and more interesting.

If you communicate only with other mothers, you may feel unfulfilled and isolated at a certain period of time.

Appreciate Family Time

Spending all your time with your family, you may feel bored.

At the same time, when you have only a limited time that you can spend with your family, you start to appreciate it more.

Such activities as entertainment planning can become even more exciting and valuable.

Self-Esteem & Self-Identity

As soon as you start your career again, you have an opportunity to achieve some goals that will let you get higher self-esteem.

Moreover, your self-identity won’t be based only on your status as a mother.

It is a known fact, that if your self-identity is based on more than one point, it can make you happier and even healthier.

The most part of mothers that started working, experienced all these benefits themselves.

Disadvantages of Being a Working Mom

You need to keep in mind that it is really challenging to combine your work and mother’s duties, especially if you have to take care of your child on your own.

There are some main disadvantages of returning to work after giving birth:

• Stress – if you need to co-ordinate your life constantly combining childcare, school issues, and your working responsibilities, it will stress you out;
• Guilt – most mothers feel guilty because they cannot spend time with their kids and are obliged to leave them. Also, they feel guilty and ashamed, if they work in a team and need to leave work earlier.
• Tiredness – combining working during a day and childcare in the evening, you may feel completely tired. As a result, it may also cause a feeling of guilt, as you cannot perform your daily household chores.

Just keep in mind that some of these disadvantages can be reduced depending on which time of job you’ll choose.

Also, it should be mentioned that there can be some other specific points that depend on your family members and your personality.

What Career Options Are Available for Mothers with No Experience?

The main problem is that some moms may lack experience as they haven’t been working for a long time and didn’t work at all.

It is important to understand whether you can find a job without having experience.

The survey held by CNBC shows that more than 2/3 recruiters think that parenting skills are pretty relevant.

It means that despite having no formal skills, those you have are considered as valuable by many employers.

Of course, you cannot just write ‘Mom’ in your CV but you can highlight certain skills such as:

• Mentoring skills;
• Time Management;
• Conflict Management;
• Patience;
• Negotiation Skills;
• Team-working ability.

If you have some of these skills, it means that you can find some great career options for you.

So, let’s find out what career options you should consider if you want to re-start your career after becoming a mother.

Childcare Worker

A childcare worker is a perfect career option for mothers as it doesn’t require any skills you don’t have.

Also, you can really enjoy it as you know how to take care of children and you are good at it.

This option is also good as you won’t feel nervous and unconfident starting this job.

Working as a childcare worker, you can earn about $12-$16 per hour.

Also, it should be mentioned that lots of workers are required in this sphere.

Among the available options, there are:

• Daycare Worker / Daycare Helper duties include helping children their core hours or assisting with before or after school daycare;
• Teacher Assistant career gives an opportunity to work only during school hours;
• Nanny responsibility is to look after a child in a private household as part-time work so you can negotiate your working hours;
• Childcare/Babysitting is one of those options that are in big demand and you can find lots of options so you can work while your partner is at home (full list of jobs working with babies).

Also, you should keep in mind that in some states to be able to work as a childcare worker, you need to obtain a license.

Make sure to check the requirements before making a decision to enroll in this career.

You can find lots of job offers for childcare workers on such sites as Indeed and Monster.

When it comes to nanny and babysitting jobs, you can look for offers on specialized websites like care.com.

Hospitality Worker

To begin with, a hospitality worker is one of the most popular career options among mothers.

There are lots of reasons for it such as its flexibility.

Enrolling in this career, you can easily fit your working hours with your daily chores and childcare.

Among other benefits, there are such options as:

• Interaction with various people that will let you feel less isolated;
• Un and lively working environment;
• Possibility to receive some great and useful tips from patrons;
• Great opportunity to exercise as you are going to spend the most part of your working time on your feet;
• Opportunity to leave any work-related stress at the door;
• There is plenty of work to go around as people like to spend time out having some good meal with their friends;
• There are lots of opportunities to get a promotion and reach management level.

Working as a bartender or a bar assistant, you can earn about $13-$22 per hour.

If you are working as a waitress, you can have a salary of about $12-$18 per hour.

Also, you can find lots of careers that will let you work during school hours if you cannot or don’t want to work in the evening.

As a coffee shop assistant, you can earn about $11-$14 per hour.

It should be mentioned that many restaurants require workers for a lunchtime rush.

If you are good at organization and communicative person, restaurant host career is a great option for you.

Working there, you can have a salary of about $12-$15 per hour.

Also, it should be mentioned that in most cases any formal experience is required to start working in hospitality.

Most employers normally look for some positive and friendly people.

As a mother, you are empathetic, patient, and well-organized and it’s a great opportunity to succeed in the hospitality sphere so make sure to mention these aspects in your CV.

Join an Apprenticeship

Most people think that apprenticeship is only for high-school graduators but it’s not true.

Those people who had long career gaps, or want to change career, as well as mothers, can apply for certain types of apprenticeships.

It is a good idea to enroll in it if you want to get a full-time job.

There is a specialized portal that is called Women Build, Protect and Move America, where you can get access for various career options in such areas as transportation, construction or protective services.

Considering the fact that women aren’t well presented in these spheres, lots of apprenticeships are offered all over the country.

If you don’t feel like working in the construction sphere, you should know that there are lots of other apprenticeships.

You can get training in such spheres as healthcare, education, office administration, or community services.

Just keep in mind that it is harder to come by a part-time apprenticeship but you still can find some.

Also, you should need to take into consideration a financial aspect as most of these options provide rather low income at the beginning.

Freelancer

If you want to work at home, you should know that there are more job options on freelance that an employed basis.

Of course, such careers can offer less security but it’s a great opportunity to make it fit your daily life.

It should be mentioned that this career option is a perfect choice for both new moms and those who’ve been out of work for a long time.

Springer Link published a study that shows that women that started to work on freelance after having a child are as much successful as those women who have no kids.

If you had a career before becoming a mother, it will be easier to find a job at freelance.

What to do if you had no career or specific skills before becoming a mom?

As a freelancer, you can apply for such careers as:

• Virtual Assistant that perform such duties as data entry, research, responding to emails or managing calendars;
• E-commerce Assistant is responsible for online shop management, social media pages updates, and customers’ queries responses;
• Writer performs such duties as writing articles, blog posts, product descriptions, or web content;
• Proofreader and Editor is responsible for proofreading other people’s writings to reveal errors or improve readability;
• Transcriptor transcribes interviews, podcasts, meetings, videos, or various audio data;
• Online TEFL Teacher is one of the most popular freelance careers as learners from all over the world are looking for English lessons constantly.

In order to enroll in one of these careers, you should have good IT skills and some required knowledge.

Nevertheless, you aren’t obliged to have some relevant experience.

To find some job offers, you can use such platforms as Upwork, Outsourcely, Freelancer where you can find a bunch of one-time and long-term projects.

Those, who want to work as an English teacher, can create a profile in Preply.

Cleaner

Of course, a cleaner cannot be considered as the most glamorous career option.

Nevertheless, in most cases, it is a part-time job so it is a great option for mothers.

Considering the fact that companies are looking for cleaners that can work at various hours, you’ll be able to find some great vacancy that suits your needs.

If you prefer working only in the morning, you can apply for a housekeeping job in a hotel.

You’ll be able to complete your duties every day before the lunchtime.

In other words, you can return home before your kids will come home from school.

Working as a housekeeper or a cleaner, you have an opportunity to earn about $11-$17 per hour.

You should know that this career is rather difficult and requires good stamina as you are it will make you keep active.

Many moms find this idea really satisfying as they spend lots of their time at home.

Just keep in mind that this career option won’t offer you many possibilities for socialization, so think it over before making a decision.

If you are looking for some job offers, you can use traditional online platforms.

Also, word-of-mouth is a great option for a job search.

You should know that most agencies don’t require some work experience nevertheless you should prove that you have some practical, hands-on approach.

You should also consider to work on your own and offer your services to private households.

If you are interested in the last option, you can use Handy platform to wind some households that need a cleaner.

Part-Time Office Assistant

Many moms can find various office jobs so they can work while their children are at school.

There are lots of offices that are ready to hire a part-time office assistant.

It is a popular option among employers as it gives them more flexibility and some great schedule options.

Also, it gives them an opportunity to have more assistance during some busy periods.

According to some researches, part-time workers with children can be more productive than those who work on a full-time basis.

The main reason may be that part-time workers feel more obliged to prove their abilities and skills.

Nevertheless, there is a question of whether companies will want to hire someone who has no experience.

Of course, your job search can be more challenging but nobody says it is impossible.

If you want to get such a job, you should prove that you have some skills including:

• Good IT skills;
• Team-working ability;
• Empathy;
• Organizational skills;
• Patience;
• Ability to use your own initiative.

If you have all these skills, your future employer will have no reason to refuse you.

Working in this sphere, you have an opportunity to earn about $14-24 per hour.

You should know that enrolling in some office support career, you have more options for promotion.

It is because, after a certain period of time, you’ll be able to get a bunch of specific skills.

Considering everything said above, it is better to look for those jobs that inspire you.

It can be human resources (HR), financial services, or third sector options.

Speaking of the disadvantages of such job offers, there are some points that should be mentioned.

Because of the feeling of guilt about being a part-time worker, many mothers work over-time and constantly check and respond to their e-mails while they’re at home.

You just need to keep in mind that it is a part-time job which means that you can get nothing more than a part-time salary.

In any case, you should know that a part-time career is a great career option for many mothers.

If you are looking for some job options, you should check some offers in your area and use some specialized portals for job search.

Also, it is a good idea to look for some office jobs offered by the government as there you can get some better benefits.

Call Handler or Telemarketer

Considering the fact that most call handling jobs are entry-level positions, it is a popular position among mothers who want to start a career.

As they have good negotiation skills and lots of patience, most moms can easily obtain such a job.

Working in this sphere, you can have a salary of about $11-$19 per hour.

If you want to start working as a call handler or a telemarketer, you should consider some options such as:

• a part-time job in a call center so you can work during school hours only.
• home-based call handler for a single employer that usually require some office-based training which lasts for a couple of weeks. After it, you can use a specialized platform to work from your home.
• Freelance call handler/telemarketer for numerous employers.

Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages.

Working in a call center, you can get more support from your managers.

At the same time, when you work at home, you have more opportunities to control your schedule and don’t need to waste your time to get to your job.

As a freelancer, you can work with numerous clients and you’ll have access to more varied jobs.

If you want to find a job option at a call center, you can look at some job sites such as Monster and Indeed.

In case, you want to work as a freelancer, you need to create a profile on some specialized platforms that were mentioned before.

Personal Care Aide

Working as a personal care aid, you can get a good salary as well as a great sense of satisfaction.

Also, as a mother, you are already qualified for these career options.

The main responsibility of a personal aid worker is to visit clients and help them with their household care and personal care.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that this job is one of the options that develop faster than others.

In other words, the number of job offers will significantly increase in the future.

An average salary of a personal care aid is about $11-$15 per hour.

This career is a great choice for those who look for flexibility as there are lots of people that may require personal care aid support during various hours.

Discuss your schedule with your employers and if they are understanding they may be able to offer you the working hours that suit your needs.

Just keep in mind that in some states you may be asked to get a license before starting working as a personal care aid.

It means that you may be obliged to spend some time learning before starting your career.

Those who have an opportunity to work on a full-time basis should consider becoming a physical therapist aide or occupational therapist aide instead.

Both these options don’t require any work experience but can provide you with a higher salary ($2-3 per hour more than for personal care aid).

Just keep in mind that these options are suitable only for those who are ready to start a full-time job.

Sales Clerk

Sales jobs can be considered as great options for mothers.

The main reason is that all these options have a low level of pressure and give lots of opportunities for socialization.

One other point is that enrolling in some sales jobs, mothers can get numerous perks including discounts.

Also, in most cases, you don’t need to have some specific experience to be able to start a career.

The only skills you should have are a positive attitude and communication skills.

In fact, sales jobs offer lots of options for people with various personalities.

For example, those who are good at negotiation and persuasion, you can work as sales in some luxury clothing store.

If you feel like working in a busy environment, you should consider working as a cashier in some big store like a supermarket.

Working as a sales clerk, you can earn about $12-$18 per hour.

Library Assistant

Library assistant’s responsibilities include such points as organize, shelve, and issue various library materials.

Also, these specialists provide support during various events and help to co-ordinate kid’s clubs.

This career can offer you lots of socialization, physical activity and variety of activities.

The American Library Association states that a degree or any work experience isn’t required for this career.

In most cases, library assistants can get all the necessary training on the job.

To be able to apply for this job, you only need to have such skills as an organization, IT and communication skills.

Working as a library assistant, you can earn about $12-$20 per hour.

Also, you can easy to find some part-time options in this sphere.

Moreover, according to the data, this sphere develops fast and the number of new job options increases constantly.

In other words, it is a promising option for anyone who wants to work in a library.

You can always take some training, to get a promotion and become a library technician.

What Home-Based Jobs for Moms Should be Avoided?

Of course, there are lots of legitimate home-based jobs but also there are numerous job offers that are fake.

If you see such phrases as “easy jobs for moms online” or “easy jobs for moms on maternity leave”, it is better to avoid such options.

Before looking for a home-based career option, make sure you know how to reveal and avoid scams.

First of all, any legitimate job will never be marked as easy because any employer would like to hire a reliable and hard-working person.

In other words, even if the job isn’t too demanding, it doesn’t mean that someone who wants an easy job will be hired.

Also, you should keep in mind that any employer won’t target some specific group of individuals for example moms.

The reason is that it may limit employers and make it look like discrimination.

Most employers just prefer to list the required skills when they publish an application.

Of course, it’s not so easy to reveal a scam as in most cases these advertisements are sophisticated.

These are some points of advice that can help you understand that the job offer is a scam:

• You need to pay for equipment and/or training which is popular among online telemarketing vocations;
• You are asked to pay a deposit to make sure that you’ll get a home-based position;
• They are asking you to pay for some promotional activities like contacts with companies that offer home-based jobs and your CV promotion;
• You are asked to provide some free samples or unpaid trials that is a popular trick on some freelance platforms.

Also, there can be options that aren’t scams but still they may be considered as a waste of time.

The list includes such options as:

• Surveys – There are some platforms and sites that offer you a small payment for completing some surveys. Of course, it’s a great option for those who want to get some pocket money but you won’t be able to earn a good salary and, also, you’ll be asked to provide your personal data;
• Posting on Forums – It is similar for a previous option as you can get paid for posting on forums but it will be a small amount of money;
• Mystery Shopping – This option is really fun but it will for sure not provide you with much income;
• 100% Commission Telemarketing Jobs – This job option will work for you only if you can get some gift on gab but in most cases, you’ll just waste lots of time;
• Writing for Content Mills – There are some websites that require content writers but in most cases, they pay an absolutely small salary so you cannot consider it as a long-time job.

If you think that home-based options aren’t for you or you aren’t interested in available options, you can always look for some part-time careers.

You can look for some options at retail, hospitality, or office spheres.

How to Get A Job: Interview Tips for Mothers

An interview itself is an absolutely stressful experience and as a mother, you may have even some extra pressure.

You may be asked various difficult questions such as how you can balance your career and family responsibilities.

All these questions are really important so you need to make sure that you are well-prepared and can answer all questions confidently.

Here are some useful tips for you:

• make sure to emphasize the fact that your family supports your decision to return to work;
• tell your employer how you are going to combine your work and daily cores;
• don’t forget o tell about your reasons to return for work and emphasize it to help your employer understand that you evaluate your decision;
• discuss with your employer such issues as flexible schedule and possible support.

In most cases, employers pay much attention to skills and experience so you can easily focus on your professional traits rather than on your personal issues.

Also, try not to say that you have no experience at all, it is better to pay attention to the fact that you are ready to learn something new and you have some more general and transferable skills.

Moreover, you should be ready that there will be many questions that require examples like how you can resolve one or another issue.

To be able to deal with it, you can use the STAR method.

You just need to say some points according to the plan below:

• Situation – Where did it happen?
• Task – What were your goal?
• Action – What specific actions did you take to achieve your goal?
• Result – How your actions influenced the situation?

If you are able to provide some concrete examples, your employer will take you more seriously.

Also, while preparing for the interview, make a list of 5 the most relevant skills for the career you are going to apply for.

Moreover, prepare an example based on the STAR scheme for each skill you’ve mentioned.

The most difficult part is to come up with examples while you are under pressure so it’s the main thing you should prepare beforehand.

Where Can Working Moms Get Some Support?

In this article, you’ve read about 10 best careers for mothers but each of them has its own issues and can be rather challenging.

It’s not important whether you work on a full-time or part-time basis, you can face some time-management issues and other problems.

Sometimes, you even have a question of why you even decided to return to work.

According to the latest research, you should avoid evaluating yourself as a ‘struggling’ working mom.

Nowadays, there is a popular stereotype about a stressed-out mother that struggles to combine her work and household duties.

Try to change your point of view and evaluate it as two relevant sides of your life that can co-exist together.

In other words, it should be something that empowers and encourages you.

As you understand, it’s useful and great approach but there is a question of how it can be achieved.

One of the best options is to get some support from others and learn your employment rights.

If you need to learn how to do it, look through the following resources:

• Momsrising is a charity organization that helps women to deal with various issues at the workplace. On this website, you can find a bunch of useful info and get a piece of advice from other women.
• Women’s Bureau Resources Portal is one other great option. There you can find some specific and detailed advice for working moms. There you can find such info as what states offer paid leaves for mothers. Also, you can enroll in one of the numerous webinars that are offered by other working moms.
• You can get info and support using numerous Facebook pages. One of the best options is Moms with Careers Making it all Work. There, you have an opportunity to chat with other women from various backgrounds.
• Also, try to communicate with other moms face-to-face. If you’re not a member of any support group, use Google Meet-ups to find some suitable meetings.
• Finally, make sure to discuss your desire to return to work with your family members. If you are sincere, your family can offer you some encouraging words and support.

So, in this article, there is a bunch of useful information for mothers who want to return to work.

We’ve prepared a list of mom-friendly careers as well as some useful tips that can help you feel empowered by your decision.

Just make sure that you choose the right career option so you can feel satisfied with your decision.

Also, make sure to reveal your key priorities. Is it money, training, flexibility, socialization, team-work, satisfaction, or skills development, or something else.

As soon as your priorities are revealed, you can find the option that suits your needs most of all.

After deciding on what career you want, you can pay more attention to submitting a good CV and preparing for interviews.

Just make sure to learn all the available options and make an evaluated decision, so you can persuade your employers that you are a good worker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it hard to get a job after being a stay-at-home mom?

It can be difficult for a person who has been a stay-at-home mom to get a professional-level job.

The problem is, employers, as they want people with experience, and those that have experience have an edge.

Lower-level jobs can be found though, and those can give valuable experience.

What is the best career for a mom?

The best career for a mom could be a nursing job.

Many of the skills of a mom are like skills nurses use in caring for patients.

Nurses may work long hours, however, and that can be a strain.

Nurses also tend to work set hours, so that would make scheduling easier.

Skills are similar enough to make nursing a good choice.

What is considered a hospitality worker?

A hospitality worker is anyone who works in the hospitality industry.

This can encompass a wide variety of jobs from cooks, dishwashers, servers, caterers, and also managing others involved in those activities.

A hospitality worker is one who is involved in meeting the needs of people at any kind of event.

What qualifications do you need to work in hospitality?

There are no qualifications to enter the hospitality industry.

It is easier to get a job if you have experience, but you can get an entry-level job and learn various aspects as you work.

It is a good industry for moving up the ladder of the organization.

It is helpful if you are comfortable working with people and have problem-solving skills.

Is Office Assistant the same as receptionist?

A receptionist can also be an office assistant, but they are often separate jobs.

A receptionist greets customers or people coming to a business and gets them to the right person.

An office assistant is more involved in the actual work of running the office, such as typing, filing, and so forth.

At smaller businesses, both could be done by the same person.

How much does an admin assistant make?

There is a great deal of range for what an administrative assistant makes.

A lot depends on the kind of business and the size of the operation.

Pay can range from $12 per hour to $50 per hour.

Some are salaried positions that range from 2,000 to 5,000 per month.

Experience also has an impact on what a person with this job could make.