Five Careers That Are Ideal for Mums Heading Back into the Workforce

Mums Tips

Mumpreneurs & Mums at work

Published on Monday, 04 November 2019 11:56

Last Updated on 04 November 2019

Monica Costa

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Are you a mum who is looking to get back into the workforce after a short-term absence or a long-term one? Are you feeling a bit unsure of what kinds of careers would be best suited to you, your needs, your interests, and financial goals? Then there is the question of what careers are currently enjoying periods of growth, meaning there are job opportunities out there right now.

To help jump-start your search process, we’ve gone ahead and put together a list of five exciting careers that could be perfect for a mum who is heading back into the workforce. Each one is unique with its own skills and experience required, allowing you to really give thought as to what it is you want to do with your career. 

Marketing Specialist

Are you the type who loves interacting with people? Do you have excellent communication skills? Are you the type who just can’t get enough of statistics and research analysis? If you’ve answered yes to all of these questions, then a career as a marketing specialist could be ideal for you.

As a marketing specialist, it’s your job to help companies figure out how to sell their products and services. This means taking an in-depth look at the market data on a local, regional, and even national level. You’ll be looking at such details as what customers are buying, what the ideal price points are, what items are being overlooked, customer trends, and so much more. Through this data, you’ll be able to create a marketing strategy that will help the business to succeed.

Another great aspect about this job is that there are many telecommuting positions available. What this means is that you’ll have the option to work from home, which could make it easier for mums that don’t currently have child care or just want to still be around in the home as much as possible. There may even be flexibility with hours, allowing you to work full-time or part-time.

Residential Caregiver

If you are looking for a job that allows you to work with people and will be so much more than just a way to pay the bills, then you may want to look into the healthcare industry. This is a massive industry that covers a huge variety of jobs, which means you can find one that speaks to your interests, passions, training, and skills.

One job you may want to consider is that of a residential caregiver. As a residential caregiver, you will be going into people’s homes or a retirement home to help your patients with a variety of activities. Your patients can be any age, from kids to seniors, depending on the employer. Responsibilities will be to help patients with mobility, using the washroom facilities, eating, taking medications on time and correctly, doing light cleaning and laundry, cooking meals, helping them get dressed, and even taking them to appointments.

In terms of the average pay for this career, a residential caregiver will make an average hourly rate of £7-£10. This rate will fluctuate based on experience, the city you work in, your educational background, personal skills, and the employer.

This is a field that is actually growing at the moment in terms of jobs available, as it is expected to grow by 6.6% by 2024, which means about 61,100 new jobs. Not only that, but between now and 2024, 32.2% of the current workforce will retire, which will open up an additional 296,100 jobs. In other words, this could be the perfect time to enter the field.

If you are looking to add to your portfolio and bulk up your CV so that it’s more appealing to potential employers, you may want to consider enrolling in one of the first aid courses that you can find by using a resource like findcourses.co.uk. Through their site, you can compare these first aid courses such as Introduction to First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, CPR and First Aid, and Paediatric First Aid. Go ahead and filter and sort your results by the type of course, course location, course level, length, price, and more.

Nursery Worker

Another route that you can take is to draw on your maternal skills and love of children and transition those into a job. A job as a nursery worker will have you caring for young children in a child care facility. In this role, you will need to plan and then organise activities for the kids that will not only keep them happy and busy, but will provide them with learning opportunities.

Some of the typical activities you’ll do with the kids include arts and crafts, games, counting, reading, music, and even the beginning of writing. This job has an average hourly rate of between £6-£9 depending on your experience, your skills, education, the city, and the facility you work in.

As a side note, those same first aid courses can also come in handy again for a job as a nursery worker. It will obviously provide you with necessary training in case of emergency, and it can give you a leg up on the competition since you’ve got this training under your belt.

Office Assistant

For those who are extremely organised and detail-oriented, and understand just how important a schedule is, the job of an office assistant can make good use of your skills and talents. This can be done on a full part-time basis, and nowadays there are even virtual office assistants that do all their work from home – ideal if you need to be able to telecommute.

Some of the skills that will make you hireable include excellent communication skills, IT skills, patience, the ability to work with others, organisational skills, and the ability to problem solve and take the initiative when needed.

Hospitality Worker

If it’s flexible hours you’re after, then the hospitality industry can be an ideal one to zone in on. You’ll be communicating with people each and every day, it tends to be fast-paced and lively, and there is no need to only look at it as a full-time job. As a hospitality worker, you can opt for part-time, full-time, and even shift work. This can make it easier when you’re trying to juggle your mum duties at the same time.

For those who don’t necessarily have any formal training or certifications, the hospitality industry is also perfect as this is one that offers plenty of entry-level positions. What this means is no experience, training, or schooling is needed. Now that’s not to say you have to stay in an entry level position, as you can work your way up through on the job experience.

In terms of salary, it really depends on where you work and what kind of work you are doing. For example, a bartender will tend to make more than say a coffee shop assistant.

Plenty of Options for Working Mums

As you can clearly see, there is a really wide cross-section of career options for mums who are looking to break back into the workforce. It comes down to what your personal skills, experience, and training are, as well as where your interests and expectations lie in a potential career path.