The Best Jobs for Single Moms

When it comes to being a single mother, the two most important characteristics of a job are salary and flexibility.  And while those elements are found on a company by company basis, there are certain industries  that tend to be more flexible.

The most flexible professions include sales, public relations, real estate and heath care. As a bonus you have the potential to make a decent salary. Education could be another field due to it’s set hours if you have school age children and of course would like summers to enjoy them.

Of course not all companies are ideal for single parents. That is why single moms must do their research ti find out how family friendly their potential employer is.  Among the characteristics they should look for are flex time, job sharing and on-site child care. One place you could start is Working Mother magazine’s annual list of 100 best companies for working mothers.

Moms should not be shy during the interview process. There are ways for moms to find out if employers allow its staff to work from home or adjust their schedule according to their chld care needs. You could ask:  Tell me what it is like to work here: how do you find working her personally; how flexible of an environment is it?

Another way to learn about family friendliness is to ask if there are any affinity groups. Those are groups of employees that meet regularly on specific topics. For instance, many companies have working parents of special needs children.  If you don’t feel comfortable asking the interviewer, ask someone else in the company. Also, check out the company’s web site to see what it says about values and work culture.

A single mother should look at a company and say, “do they appreciate what I do outside of the office?”  Find out if they are results-oriented or if they simply want employees at their desks.  Some jobs, like nursing, require employees to be on-site. But there are lots of shift options so you can work when the kids are at school or sleeping. The average national salary of a registered nurse is $49,534, according to CareerBuilder.com. Another well paying job in health care is physical therapy.

Single moms need to prioritize their needs.  Companies that provide the most flexibility do not necessarily off the highest salaries. It is a balancing act, something single moms are very familiar with. Good luck on the hunt for the perfect job for you!