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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…
You’ve likely seen my weekly Money 911 segment on NBC’s Today – in fact, I post a video on this blog each week, in case you miss the live version.
I hope that the questions I’ve answered in those segments have helped you, and that they continue to do so. But it’s impossible for me to get to every question that hits my inbox. You no doubt have more money questions, and for those, I encourage you to check out my new book, also called Money 911, which is hitting shelves as we speak. More…
WHO: Alex Andon
WHAT: Jellyfish Art, a company that designs decorative, custom made and desktop jellyfish aquariums
WHEN: 2008
WHERE: San Francisco, CA
HOW: They often say that in order to be successful in business, you have to start out doing the dirty work. Just ask twenty-five-year-old Alex Andon, founder of Jellyfish Art. “Before starting Jellyfish Art I was working as a lab technician at a biotech company…my job was to process monkey, rat and human stool samples, which was a nauseating task,” says Andon. A marine biology student in college, Andon always had an interest in captive jellyfish breeding and knew how much of an attraction jellyfish were at public aquariums. “Jellyfish have been hugely popular since scientists discovered how to display them in captivity about ten years ago,” says Andon. More…
WHO: Sister duo Talia Bahr Goldfarb and Danielle Bahr Eason
WHAT: Myself Belts; a line of belts for children and adults featuring a one-handed patented belt closure which allows the wearer to open and close their belt easily with only one hand
WHEN: 2003
WHERE: St. Louis, Missouri
HOW: When Goldfarb’s son ditched his diapers, the idea for Myself Belts was born. “We discovered a void in the marketplace when my son was 3 and became potty trained. Without the bulk of his diaper, his pants didn’t fit him correctly anymore and when we searched for a belt, we discovered that there were not any belts on the market that young children could actually use independently,” says Goldfarb.
From there, Goldfarb and Eason took their idea and ran with it. “We did a patent search and discovered that our idea was actually an invention. We patented the Myself Belts’ belt closure and then began the steps of actually manufacturing our line of belts,” says Goldfarb. Using their own personal savings, the sisters took a risk, put five figures into launching the business and ordered 10,000 belts before receiving any orders from stores. Thankfully, trusting their instincts paid off. “By the time our belts arrived, we already had 100 stores that had placed orders from a marketing mailing that we had sent out while the belts were in production. We were pretty relieved that our instinct was correct!” says Goldfarb. Today, Myself Belts are sold in retail stores across the country and on a variety of websites including Target.com. More…
About a week and a half ago, I released a new version of my best-selling book, Pay it Down! The updated version still includes my tried-and-true Rx for getting out of debt on $10 a day, but it also takes into account the changing times, including the CARD Act of 2009, a tighter credit market, and your tighter wallet. Even if you’ve read it before, there’s enough new that you may want to think about reading it again.
But I also took it a step further, and developed an online program, The Debt Diet, that launches today on this website. More…
If you’re here to learn a bit more about the Debt Diet Online, congratulations. You’ve just taken the first step toward learning how to become free of credit card debt. That’s the way you can build a financial safety net and become financially secure. You can do it, and so can a spouse, child, or friend.
This video explains more about what Debt Diet Online can do for you:
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Yesterday, Hoda, Kathie Lee and I sat down with our first mini-money makeover candidate, Kelly Whalen. Watch the video below to see how we helped her to reign in her weekend spending and be sure to tune in next Monday as we help another viewer makeover their finances.
In life, getting from where you are to where you want to be can be tough. It’s even tougher when fear is holding you back. In “The Big Leap,” bestselling author Dr. Gay Hendricks explains how fear can be one of life’s biggest roadblocks. Tune in tomorrow (at 12pm EDT on XM 156 or SIRIUS 195) as Dr. Hendricks shares his tips for overcoming your fears and achieving success in finances, love and life.
