How Busy Moms Can Pivot Into Rewarding Work

*Collaborative Post

Many moms want to start prioritizing their careers at a certain point. Maybe they focused primarily on their kids before they were school-aged, and now they’re finally ready for a job that they find fulfilling.

The question is, how do you get it? Even if your kids have grown past the pamper stage, they still require a lot of attention. It’s hard to pivot into a meaningful career while constantly prioritizing others’ needs before your own.

In this article, we take a realistic look at how you can transition into a career that you find rewarding.

Step One: Identify What Kind of Work You Want to Do

Many people interested in pivoting into a career in their 30s or older prioritize a certain set of attributes.

They want financially comfortable work, a rewarding position that they find genuinely fulfilling, in an environment where they can grow into new responsibilities.

Often, these criteria lead them to choose service-oriented roles: healthcare, education, social work, and pharmacy. Of course, it could be anything. The important factor is determining what career path will be the most meaningful to you.

Step Two: Figure Out What the Requirements Are

What kind of degree do you need to get? What sort of special licensing is required within the credentialing process?

For example, simply completing a BSN does not make you a nurse. You also need to pass the NCLEX, a standardized exam you can only take after graduation.

With some career paths, the entry point is multifaceted and may even vary slightly depending on where you are located.

It’s a good idea to understand as completely as you can what local requirements are specific to the job that you want.

Step Three: Find a Program That Makes Sense for You

Once you’ve identified all of the necessary criteria for getting your dream job, the next step is to find a program that can meet them.

If you’re going to consider nursing or education, for example, look for regionally accredited schools that are able to meet your scheduling requirements. You’ll find, possibly to some surprise, that you’re able to complete these degrees online, often in a pre-recorded format that allows you to work when it’s convenient for you.

These flexibility options are powerful tools for busy parents who want to get their degrees without missing soccer games or school pickup.

Step Four: Develop a Realistic Timeline

Once you’ve determined that you want to make a career pivot, it’s natural to feel a sense of urgency, particularly if you really need to start developing your income quickly.

While financial stress may need to be taken into account, it’s important also to prioritize a realistic completion timeline.

Many of the jobs we’ve described to this point offer accelerated pathways, allowing you to complete all of your certification requirements within a year’s time.

This is a good option on paper in that it allows you to quickly start making money in your new work.

The problem is that it requires an almost full-time level of commitment, something that’s not going to be possible for everyone.

It’s better to take three years, picking off a class or two per semester, than it is to fail in three months trying to go full-time when you don’t have the bandwidth.

Step Five: Tap Into Your Support System

What this looks like will vary considerably based on circumstance. If you have parents, a sister, a partner, or a great friend who can help with your kids, now would be a good time to ask for a little support.

Failing that, consider adopting a standard of “good enough” in your house. Rather than succumbing to stress at the end of a long day when you realize the kitchen sink is still full of dishes, say, “it’s good enough.

You can run the dishwasher in the morning. Now it’s time to finish up a little schoolwork and get to sleep at a reasonable hour.” Giving yourself a little grace when things are difficult can go a long way than people often realize.

The stress is only temporary. Once you’ve completed your education, you’ll have the certification forever.

Step Six: Prioritize Wellness

Finally, as you work on school, it’s also important to take care of yourself. The busier we get, the more we tend to neglect our needs. It’s easy to trade comfort for efficiency when there are deadlines.

The problem is that as we do this, we erode our physical and mental reserves. We become tired. Burned out. Eventually, we might start making mistakes or shut down completely.

It’s a little like car maintenance. Let’s say your car needs an oil change. You also need to drive across town to get groceries. Objectively, you will get those groceries faster if you skip the oil change and go straight to the store.

But, if you make this same choice every day, the car will eventually break down. Then, you can’t get anywhere. The lesson? Prioritize sleep. Eat well. Exercise when you can. Education is a marathon. If you aren’t keeping yourself tuned up, you will crash out.

Keep Your Focus on Yourself

Remember, you’re beholden to no one but yourself. Ultimately, this is a self-growth and improvement project. You shouldn’t judge your own success by other people’s completion timelines. Certainly, you shouldn’t allow the experience to color the way you see yourself as a parent or a person.

No matter how well you plan your educational journey, it’s going to involve some stress and tension. Parents are so often pulled in multiple directions at once.

This is a very acute example of it. Your kids will always need you, and for the length of your education, there will always be tasks to complete in the background.

It’s not easy, but you can do it. Allow the process whatever time it requires. Work hard, give yourself permission to relax certain standards while you complete your degree. It’s difficult, but you can do it.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.