Where Do I Take My Career? (Giveaway!)

Author: Shannon Miller Lifestyle

Working mothers need periodically to evaluate their careers and determine their best growth opportunities.

This decade, more working mothers will be seen altering their jobs to allow more time for their families. How can the two trends happen? With superb technology available, women can complete training on their own time, work from their homes, and spend less time commuting or office dwelling.

Do you know where your career is headed?

Are you a working mother going through the motions on the job? Or do you have a set career plan? Is a corporate role or entrepreneurship right for you?

Times have changed and will continue to do so. In the Great Recession, three-quarters of the eight million jobs lost had been held by men. The worst-hit industries were predominantly male: construction, manufacturing, and finance. In 2010, for the first time in US history, the workforce tipped toward women, who hold a majority of the nation’s jobs.

In the aftermath of the Great Recession, men’s and women’s roles have become less defined; so-called traditional male and female roles in the family have become, well, less traditional and more equal when it comes to jobs, household duties, and childcare. With many husbands unemployed, more women have assumed the role of breadwinner, while the number of men tending the home has increased. Stay-at-home men have struggled with this new role and with not being the main source of income. Meanwhile, many women still have to adjust to earning lower wages than men and face a tougher time advancing to the highest positions within a company.

Yet working mothers can work around these obstacles in creative ways. This past year, for example, I evaluated my business services and concluded I would like to expand into ghostwriting books and managing social media for other businesses. Writing this book has certainly opened my eyes to new opportunities and ways to generate additional income. I have enjoyed blogging on working-mother topics and will continue to do so. I plan to attend blogging seminars and workshops to learn more about the trade. I see several more books in my future as well. That is where I predict my career going.

Successful Working Mother Career Example – Nicole Feliciano

Several mothers spoke with me about how they created careers to make more room for their families. Nicole Feliciano, editor and founder of Momtrends.com, left the traditional office environment to create a work experience that was customized for the needs of her family. At first, she started freelancing and was working about 15 hours a week. She added more clients as her first daughter got older and as she became more confident in her parenting skills.

Soon, she had ramped up to 20 or more hours a week with deadlines set by her editors! All those deadlines were a big part of the reason she launched her own site. Feliciano wanted to work when and where she wanted. Now as her own boss, she sets her own erratic, crazy schedule. But it works for her.

Follow Your True Calling

Feliciano’s advice? Follow your passions. “If work feels like play, and if you have a great team surrounding you, then it’s a lot easier to live without huge paychecks. When you do encounter success, don’t see it as a fluke – study the cause of the success to see whether you can replicate it,” said Feliciano. “Our event business surprised me with its earning power. If I didn’t take a moment to analyze it, then I might have missed out on a great opportunity.”

Give yourself permission to fail. “Balance, perfection… they don’t exist. Master letting go of your preconceived notions of success. Success for me is about creating a brand that has value.”

About the Author

Erin Flynn Jay is a writer and publicity expert. Since 2001, Erin has been promoting authors of new books and small businesses in all industries. Erin has expertise in successfully obtaining print, online and broadcast media placements for experts and authors. Erin’s articles have appeared in diverse publications including careerbuilder.com, MSN Careers, Brandweek, Costco Connection, Opportunity World, Sales and Marketing Excellence, The New York Enterprise Report and Wealth Manager. Erin received a B.A. in Communication from the University of Scranton in PA and lives in Philadelphia with her family.

SML TIP: Read More about Writer and Publicist Erin Flynn Jay – Visit flynnmedia.com and  erinflynnjay.com

SML GIVEAWAY: For more tips on being a Career Mom, just order Erin’s book at Amazon – amazon.com OR WIN THIS HELPFUL BOOK in the RaffleCopter Entry Form below!

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