As parents, we know that often times trying to balance a career with parenthood can be a bit tricky. A recent article in MSN Careers, however, writes that your career doesn't necessarily have to come to an end just because you have a family.
They listed three family-friendly fields to be in if you have children and talk to parents in those fields. The three fields are health care field, IT and accounting.
According to the article, for one mother working in the health care industry, there are child care centers located on or near the work facility. She also has flexible shifts and great maternity leave. A single father in the IT field says it's taught him time management and multitasking -- both things he will definitely use while raising his teenage daughter.
And finally, a mother with a job in accounting is grateful for the telecommmuting option her job as a finance director offers stating, "As long as you have a computer, particularly a laptop, accounting work can be done anywhere."
Are you in one of the above fields and are they truly family-friendly? Are you in another field not mentioned here which you think is completely family-friendly?
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Those sound great! Not mentioned is Direct Sales. I have my own business selling jewelry (Premier Designs Inc). I get to stay at home with my son during the day, but then I get out a few nights a week to do jewelry showings (which don't feel like work!). I'm making close to what I was making when I was working full time before my son was born... and the potential is great!
Also, my husband is in IT. His company allows him to work from home once a week. It's great because it allows me some time to run errands, etc!
It doesn't have to be an either/or situation. I love that there are so many options out there... especially if you're willing to think and work outside the box!!
view Melissa Reed's profile
I worked in the software field before the birth of my son. My company wasn't flexible and I had serious daycare issues (my name on the waiting lists never came up). Infant daycare is a serious problem. The four women with small children in my office had family members babysitting. I have no family on the East Coast, so that wasn't an option for me. I think you have to look at individual companies, not industries, to assess "family friendly" environments. Also, the magazines that list the 100 top companies for family friendly policies, hire writers to submit their entries. Sadly, it is mostly PR. I have known a few people who work for these companies and their policies exist only in print, one is actively discouraged from using them!
view molly_DC's profile