Ninth-grade teacher Danna L. Kiel enjoys popping over to her son's
school in the middle of the day just to say hi. Ali, 6, enjoys visiting
his mom's classroom and writing on the chalkboard. Both very simple
things, but both very meaningful moments to the single mother, who
traded in a writing career in Tinseltown to give her son a consistent
and predictable schedule.
"I learned the hard way that routine is
one of the greatest things I can give my child," Kiel says. "Teaching
is not the 7 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. job everyone thinks it is, but it
certainly offers me a more than viable way to provide a living."
Genia Spencer, managing director of human resources and operations
for Randstad USA, says for single moms, the key to matching a job to
your life is knowing your skills and values, and she agrees that
teaching and other knowledge-based careers, like accounting, editing or
proposal writing, provide great opportunities. "Companies are more
interested in whether you get the job done well rather than face time,"
Spencer says. "Some work can be done from any desk, at any computer."
Spencer also suggests sales for single moms. "A field-based sales
job, like in the pharmaceutical or manufacturing industries, allows a
person to make her own schedule and, to a large degree, control her earnings,
since it's commission-based. Plus, these jobs often provide a single
parent the ability to be home every night."
The health care industry, Spencer says, is another great
field for single moms. It has incredible shortages in the workforce and
unlimited opportunity. Home health care offers a great deal of
flexibility because it's based on the hours the care provider selects.
Occupational therapy, physical therapy and X-ray imaging are also
viable areas. And if you're interested in working in an office, try
medical practice management, which focuses on billing, risk management and human
resources.
But Spencer warns people not to get locked on new job excitement
and the salary offer. "In this economy, be cautious making a move in
order to ensure it's going to be a good long-term fit," she says. Learn
about tuition reimbursement, student-loan repayment, teleworking,
onsite daycare centers, paid leave, company culture, health insurance
deductibles, per-visit payments, how often the family can go for well
visits and whether the company has flex spending accounts and 401(k)
matching programs.
"It's really important to do a complete balance sheet before you
accept the offer," Spencer says. "It has an impact on both your
finances and your quality of life."
-- Kennedy Spencer is an Atlanta freelancer.
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