This week, I invited one of my favorite sources on work/life balance – something we’re all striving for – to write a guest post about finding a job that works with your hectic schedule. Allison O’Kelly is CEO of Mom Corps, a flexible-employment staffing service. The company provides employers who are looking for part-time workers with a pool of candidates, and professionals with flexible job opportunities.
In today’s economy, it’s hard enough to find a job – let alone, a flexible one that suits your needs both as a professional and a working mom. But don’t despair – in actuality, this may be one of the BEST times to land the flexible gig you need to finally achieve and maintain some form of life/work fit.
While the economy has definitely taken a toll on the job market, it has also forced us companies and employees to reevaluate how we work – and we have seen flexibility placed at the forefront of this change. When companies couldn’t afford to reward and entice employees with bonuses or raises, they were forced to get creative and offer flexible work schedules, four-day work weeks, sabbaticals, and telecommuting options instead. When workers could not find full-time, traditional positions, they in turn started freelancing, contracting, and even interning. Both corporations and workers have seen the benefits of workplace flexibility in terms of morale and profits, and the average 9 to 5 has been redefined during the recession.
So how can you find a flexible job that matches your skill set and experience? More…
If you have a child either in or about to enter college, you likely know that we’re in the midst of FAFSA season. This one form – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – gets the ball rolling on any financial aid your child may receive for school. In order to qualify for Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans, and work-study programs, you must fill it out.
Unfortunately, it’s also a form that has many parents pulling out their hair, year after year. If that’s you, I’ve compiled the top five ways to simplify the process. Much like doing your taxes, it’s never going to be painless, but these tips will certainly make it easier: More…
I was recently laid off, and after searching for a new job in the same field for several months, I’m considering starting over in a new field. What are some fields I should look into? – Emily, Massachusetts
Whether you’re in a job right now that you just can’t stand, or, in your case, looking to start over, it’s important to consider a few things. Ask yourself some questions – what are you good at? What industries need people with the skills you have? The U.S. Department of Labor offers an Occupational Outlook Handbook right on their website, which is a great way to find out what jobs your skills might match up with.
Once you’ve found a few jobs you think you’d be good at, you should start to look at what’s out there – not only on job-search sites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com, but by asking friends, fellow alumni, and anyone else who would be an asset to your business network. More…
WHO: Jenny Fliess & Jen Hyman
WHAT: Rent the Runway, where women can rent top designer dresses for a fraction of their cost!
WHEN: 2009
HOW: You can have a closet full of clothes, but when it comes to that high school reunion, cousin’s wedding, first date, or company party, you have nothing to wear. After seeing their friends and family resort to spending hundreds of dollars on a perfect dress that they’d only wear once, Jenny Fleiss and Jen Hyman, classmates at Harvard business school, knew there had to be a solution.
“We’re both entrepreneurs at heart,” says Fleiss, “and we knew this was our opportunity.” So, the two simultaneously ran focus groups among undergrads at Harvard and Yale and received their MBAs. More…
WHO: Rich Littlehale
WHAT: YouRenew, an online business where you can buy, sell, and recycle your old electronics.
WHEN: 2009
HOW: People, planet, and profit: the three bottom lines on which Rich Littlehale wanted to launch a company. Passionate about preserving the environment, Littlehale was in his junior year at Yale University when he stumbled upon a golden idea. “I had originally thought up an idea for a beverage company,” says Littlehale, “but the initial capital required and the barriers to entry seemed too daunting.” More…
