Best Jobs for single moms. - Page 2

[alima]

I worked for many years as a waitress and bartender. Crap jobs, yeah, but if you find a place where tips are good , I could make $200 in 3 hours bartending.

A plus for me, too, was that serving jobs don't take up much mental or emotional space, kwim? I could leave, go home to my child and not take home baggage from work. It really helped to keep me from getting too overwhelmed. An added bonus too, is that the jobs are pretty disposable and therefore very flexible. A really good waitress or bartender is hard to find, and a good manager will make allowances for your personal schedule (I'm a restaurant manager now, I make a LOT of allowances for my staff.)

[PoppyMama]

Good points Alima. Bartending could actually be a decent career if you were willing to work the late hours and it's not AS hard on the body as waitressing.

[Lia & Eva's Mama]

have you considered hairdressing? it takes 10 mos to complete. the hours are great you can choose anything you want. you get tips bonuses and wages or commision.
you'll save money cause you'll cut your families hair. you can work a bit from home to make extra money too.

[rjmom]

Hi,

I got a government job. Yes I am a reciepent of your tax dollars and I thank you all!!!!

I was a restaurant/Bar manager when my son was born until he was about two but the hours killed me.

I took two years off and did the SAHM show, I used up all my savings but I wouldn't trade it for the world!!!!! During my SAHM time I worked part time as a crossing guard and I could bring my son (who was about almost 3 and 4 during that time). I also worked one day a week as a bookkeeper at a restaurant on Mondays when they were closed so I could bring my son. So I guess I really wasn't a SAHM since I worked but it wasn't full time and I brought my DS.


I took me two years of applying to get my Government job! No lie it took that long!!! And I went in at rock bottom entry level and it is for an agency that absolutely does not fall in line with my idiology.

But I've been there almost three years now and it has been wonderful for my home life with my DS.

I've gotten a few promotions and the money is getting a bit better. The best thing about it is the hours, the vacations and the limited stress. There is great security too.

I had to trade some of my ideals but my biggest ideal of caring well for my DS has been met. A trade off I've come to find peace with.


I know they say do what you love and the money will follow, well I love my son and the money did come


I wish you the best of luck in whatever path you decide to follow.

[PattyCakes_726]

Originally Posted by windorabug

I'm curious, do you need an associates degree to get into a training program?

Ack, I feel like I should have done all of this years ago!!

Check out the community colleges in your area. They often have programs where you wind up with your cert for ultrasound and an AA degree. If you already have an AA or BA you can do the program in less time.
There are also private training centers that cost more ( a lot more!) but you finish more quickly. My friend took this route. It took her a year and cost
$19K (loans and grants). She did not have an AA. This was about 4 years ago, so I don't know if things have changed.

[mama41]

Originally Posted by PoppyMama

I've worked in healthcare a long time and people are always saying that and there will be some issue with it but from what I've seen it's not going to bottom out...on the contrary. Healthcare is one of the areas where if English totally and completely fluent there can be fatal consequences.

Yes. This won't stop them, though, as it hasn't in Europe and won't in Japan, in the end. We already outsource a good deal of radiology and healthcare recordkeeping to India. In the end the hospital industry and Congress will look at the untenable costs of Boomer-related nursing care and the estimated increase in negative outcomes from hiring guest workers who may not be perfectly fluent, and will decide it's worth the tradeoff.

Home health care already does this, btw. Those old folks in Florida aren't working with home staffs of well-trained, fluent-English nurses and paraprofessionals.

People used to talk about the bottom falling out of nursing because so many people were piling in, & they said there wouldn't be that many jobs. There'll be plenty of jobs, all right. That's not why the wages will fall. The wages will fall for the same reason manufacturing wages fell. There is a large pool of foreign labor willing to do it for much, much less, and if there are some quality issues, to the money people who make the decisions, they aren't serious enough to stop the outsourcing/immigration. Certainly the healthcare industry hasn't been shy about accepting marginally worse outcomes for a big boost on the bottom line. And certainly Congress has let them run with it. Just as it's your job now to check that the docs and nurses have washed their hands, marked you up correctly for surgery, and given you the right meds at the right doses, it's going to be your job to make sure your nurse understands your English, and that you understand the nurse.

Incidentally, don't kid yourself about English proficiency in the rest of the world. The call center industry in India has now had several years of accent training and the improvement is marked. English instruction is a major sideline in China. These people are hungry and they want the jobs.

[L J]

I think a great job is waitressing/bartending. Its what I have done for nearly 10 years, and what I am doing now to support myself and my son. I work for a chain restaurant, but because I bust my butt and do them favors, they make a lot of allowances for me. I pretty much set my own schedule and if something comes up (like, last weekend, my son got the flu) they are very understanding. In tips alone I average about $20 an hour. Server minimum wage is $2.13 an hour, but the place I am at has made me a "trainer" which means that I make $5.85 on top of my tips. We also have fantastic health insurance.

I don't want it for my career, I feel like now I am getting to old to be running around so many hours a day and do such physical work, but its definately paying the bills while I finish my degree.

Good luck mama.

[Satori]

Originally Posted by mama41

Incidentally, don't kid yourself about English proficiency in the rest of the world. The call center industry in India has now had several years of accent training and the improvement is marked. English instruction is a major sideline in China. These people are hungry and they want the jobs.

You have obviously never had to call tech support for anything, its all outsourced to India and I can NEVER understand them. Its really annoying to spend an hour on hold only to get someone who's accent is so strong you can't understand 90% of what there saying.

[mama41]

Originally Posted by Satori

You have obviously never had to call tech support for anything, its all outsourced to India and I can NEVER understand them. Its really annoying to spend an hour on hold only to get someone who's accent is so strong you can't understand 90% of what there saying.

It seems to me they've gotten much better in the last 5 years or so, esp in fin services. I've noticed that in some of the calls now, the American English is confident enough that they've dropped the fake American name. ("Hi ma'm, my name is Michael -- " No, your name is certainly not Michael.) Where they find it cost-effective, they do some very good training now, and boot the people who can't transform their accents.

The thing is that in medicine, nursing/support salaries are an enormous enough expense that it really won't matter. The federal money isn't there for the staffing levels that'll be needed. If they bring guest workers here at a third of the salary and reduced benefits -- health insurance only, say -- they'll save enough that they won't do much before there's outcry. Then they'll require a language-proficiency certificate, which, again, won't do much (though it'll be a boon to colleges, since they'll get tuition/grants for developing and running the mandatory programs). Patients will be urged to listen more carefully and speak more clearly, and to remember that we live in a global world. It's no novelty. England, Germany, plenty of countries have been living with this for years now. I'm sure there's been plenty of grumbling, too, about accents and intelligibility, and yet more of the nurses come every year.

I imagine it'd happen faster if McCain wins. SEIU is not what it was, but the Dems are still not anxious to lose those votes.

[willowsmama]

Originally Posted by PattyCakes_726

Check out the community colleges in your area. They often have programs where you wind up with your cert for ultrasound and an AA degree. If you already have an AA or BA you can do the program in less time.
There are also private training centers that cost more ( a lot more!) but you finish more quickly. My friend took this route. It took her a year and cost
$19K (loans and grants). She did not have an AA. This was about 4 years ago, so I don't know if things have changed.

This is likely to vary by area. Here in MN US tech is a 2 yr. program. It's HIGHLY competitive, the classes are limited to 12 students a year and it's a long, hard, exhausting program. I wanted to go for this but no way was i going to take that big of a chance.

Rad. tech is much easier to get into and the pay isn't quite as high but it's still a great job.

[hotmom]

Thank You much!
I am researching all suggestions. keep em coming!
I should Ask : what trade should I get trained in ???

Since that is the real question here, I want a trade, a certificate a "degree" in something... lol Anything dagumit!
Im sick of being poor... As it os my Ex is a crazy man but he will writ eme a check to a trade school. so I feel I need to take it and RUUUUUnnn with it as asap!
Help me mamas

[3_opihi]

I would go for whatever is the most stable long term.

If you know someone who can get you an "in" with a federal or state job, that would be my first pick...(examples, DMV, Board of Education, office jobs at the legislature, whatever, board of water supply, land and resources, prisons, jails, social services anything...there is tons of stuff - just ask around, be creative and do lots of searching, also if you live near a military base search for civilian jobs.) I know the federal tax buildings usually have lots of openings for mail room shifts right now because it is tax season. That is a good in. If you can get in, you'll be set, excellent hours, sometimes on site childcare, pension, retirement, benefits, ect.

2nd pick would be working at a bank. My sister did this and at 21, already owns her own home and they are paying for her to get her business degree. She had no previous experience. It is stable, pay is good, burnout low and lots of room to grow.

3rd pick would be some sort of healthcare training. I think there is a high burnout rate with this, and the pay isn't always as good as they say - and private school can be EXPENSIVE. But, there is lots of opportunity and if you go through a community college you probably will get grants to pay for everything. Even privately, you may get everything covered through grants and financial aid. Top picks for those would be:

1. Surgical tech (training is usually 18 months, pay is around $20 an hour or more.)
2. Dental asst. (training varies, as does pay, here they start around $12, but experienced ones make around $20)
3. Ultrasound, radiological tech - 2 yr degree. Pay is around 50-60k a year
4. Respiratory Therapist, or tech, - 2yr degree, pay is as above

5. Nursing will be your best bet in the healthcare field, but training is usually rigorous and competitive.

I wouldn't suggest something like cosmetologist, massage therapy, or home daycare. (I have done all three) The pay is *ok*, but the burnout rate and injury rate are REALLY high - meaning it will happen eventually. Also you won't have insurance or benefits, you'll usually be a private contractor, which just sucks when you aren't making a good amount of money and are a sole provider. HTH's.

You can also do a search here to find out about job outlooks, median earnings and job basics in your area - www.bls.gov. The site is kinda hard to navigate, so if you need help, pm me with your area and I'll help you look it up. HTHs.
3.

[hkitty]

Well, this is something you truly have to love to do, but I teach yoga. I specialized my area (prenatal) and basically can teach two classes a week and with child support can support myself and my Dds. Without child support, I would have to teach three classes, maybe four. I'm gone a total of 2 hours for each class. So teaching 6 hours a week for full-time support is what I consider really fortunate. I love what I do though. I'm also working on being a therapist so I can have two income streams to depend on vs. one.

You might check out Barbara Winter's website and books about being self-employed and making it work. She's the one who got me all started on this path.

Granted those are long-term dreams, but maybe they're less long-term than you think?

[MujerMamaMismo]

Best jobs for single moms. Article on forbes.com

[shadeshaman]

When I found myself suddenly having to care for my two kids, I became a housecleaner. Self-employed. I have a great enviro-friendly product and advice supplier (I pay for the products, but the advice is FREE). I love it. I can (and do) color my hair everything from green to orange to pink, or I shave it off. I have stretched earlobes and tattoos. And I run my own business! Practically no inventory, super-low overhead, and I make sure that I only take jobs where my kids (should they get sick) are welcome. Now, about 5 years later, I even have an employee.
It's not rocket science, but you do have to be a bit of a self-starter. If you're interested, PM me and I can give you the URL for the place where I get my supplies (they also have a book called "The Complete Guide to Success in the Housecleaning Business", as well as an incredibly boring, yet thorough, training video!)

[PattyCakes_726]

Have you considered working in a school system? If you don't want to teach, there are many administrative jobs. The Benefits are great and while you may not have the whole summer off, you usually do have plenty of time off.

[tjsmama]

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[hotmom]

Wow
I am so happy to have found this board.
can I just say I Love you all lol
I am taking all this in and reading up on it all. Absolutely great advice. I have been LOST for the past year and a half. I was a SAHM for a decade. minivan driving room mother carpooling.. you get the gist. Oh yeah and I nursed a incredible shopping habit as well. I earned not a cent. Just shopped and spent. When it was all said and done, it turned out I didnt even know exactly where that money came from. To say the least, I have not been equipped to care for the family after dh took off with a stripper.
Finally I have found this place to talk to moms with practical advice.
Thanks!!!

K off to research... thank you very much mommas.
~ Elyice

[*Melissa*]

I want to second the bartending votes.

I've made more bartending than I did with my professional degree. It's fun, it's a night job, so you can spend time with your kids during the day, and you leave with cash in hand. It doesn't require tons of training, and there are always positions available.

I also like it because your income depends on you - no matter how hard you work at some jobs, you'll still only be making X an hour. With bartending, you could easily work 6 hours and leave with $250 cash - especially on weekends. Then you get a paycheck a week or two later.

You don't have to work in a frat bar either. There are some very nice upscale restaurants & hotels that have bars where it's not a meathouse.

[lioralourie]

Small business owner:

Doggie Grooming Salon

Baby clothes/baby gear Consignment shop

DVD rental place

Coffee shop/Tea house/alternative nighttime music venue

Kid friendly Bakery/Coffee shop hangout shop