Guest Blog Post: Remote and Flexible Work Opportunities for Later Moms by Georgene Huang

Motherhood changes our lives — whenever it happens — but it can be a particular shock to be a mother after a decade or more in the workplace. It’s common to hear that women are surprised at how they feel about their careers after the birth of their children, and while every mother and woman is different, these feelings about what work-life balance and career ambition are often new and disorienting.

Women who have never previously considered less than full-time work, for example, sometimes find themselves deciding to dedicate their lives to raising their children at home. Others, simply feel that they must explore alternative jobs and careers because the rest of their life — and their priorities — have changed so much. There are also mothers for whom working full-time outside the home longer makes financial sense due to the high costs of good childcare options.

If this describes your situation, you’re far from alone. Many mothers try to craft flexible work to achieve their ideal work-life balance and new schedules. If your employer allows for part-time work options, or remote working, you have probably applied for those positions or inquired to the possibility that you shift your schedule. However, what should you do if those options aren’t available at your workplace?

In an era where independent contractors are one of the fastest growing segments of the workforce, and technology allows many of us to work remotely, there many options. The following marketplaces or online resources help mothers find flexible work or jobs. Many of these sites specifically target mothers, while others are simply marketplaces for all kinds of people who are looking for flexible or remote work options.

• FlexJobs: As the name of this site implies, this service provides members with job listings that are flexible, part-time and remote. The site does charge members who would like access to hand-curated and vetted positions.

• PowerToFly: A relative newcomer, this site primarily focuses on technology roles for women interested in remote and flexible working. The site features a wide range of jobs, from project-based work to full-time and part-time positions. Applicants must create profiles and apply for roles. The site takes a fee from the employer if you are hired for the role.

• Moms Corps: This is one of the oldest sites focused on talented moms who are looking for non-traditional work. It has been described as a specialist staffing agency focused on mothers.

Outside of these sites, there are many specialist sites focused on specific areas of expertise, types of professionals, or industries. For example:

• Law: Axiom is a remote law firm whose attorneys do not have to work in the traditional way.
• Design: 99Designs is a marketplace for designers and graphic artists to find clients
• UpWork: A wide ranging marketplace for freelancers who want to work on a project-basis and as independent contractors
• Skillbridge: Offers higher-end consulting work opportunities on a freelance basis.

In short, if you feel comfortable with the internet and searching it’s nooks and crannies, you will find no shortage of sites competing for your attention to create profiles and apply for their job listings. The trick is to understand what you really want, and focus your attention on a quality job search (or set of searches if you’re looking for project-based work).

After all, you are seeking work on terms that work with the rest of your life and at least half of the battle is understanding what kind of schedule and work commitment you want and can make. Some moms may find that this type of effort feels more entrepreneurial than have been accustomed to in the past. The truth is that there is absolutely an element of hustle, self-initiative and research that’s required to find the right job.

Even after you secure work or feel comfortable getting periodic projects on a marketplace, as a freelancer you are essentially a small business owner. This means you will have to take care of a small-scale business operations and the associated administrative issues which include filing your own taxes, keeping track of expenses and invoices, and tracking your work hours, among other things.

This may all sound very daunting, but the payoff may well be worth it. Remember that you are investigating all these options because you are interested in crafting — and controlling —the sort of work-life balance you and your family want.

 
Georgene Huang, a later mom in NYC, is a co-founder of Fairygodboss, an anonymous employee review site, for and by women. Women share the inside scoop about pay, benefits, pay, gender equality, work-life balance, flexible and remote work options at their employers in order to help other women find the “best fit” employers

Tags: fairgodboss, motherhood later in life, part time employment, re-entering the workforce, telecommuting, working moms