Best Jobs for single moms. - Page 4

[wytchywoman]

Originally Posted by Bad Mama Jama

Also phone entertainment is a big way to bring in good money. I'm just sayin'...

The thought has crossed my mind more than once. ALthough I am not terrible certain I could do that without snickering and laughing, but it is a lucrative option. How exactly though would one pursue that occupation? Just curious, lol!!!

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by angelcat

I'm a house cleaner. I also work part time assisting and sometimes facilitating a parent-child mother goose program.


I like cleaning as it pays well eonugh to do only ppart time. Altho all my regular clients are moving away, so I may actualy have to advertise now...

How did you get started with this? Any tips?

[sheilajolene]

I've just enrolled in school to become a rad tech student thanks to this thread!

[buddhasmomma]

Just wanted to throw this out there, I work graveyards at a small hotel front desk, i can sleep usually 5-6 hours a night. This of course depends on how supportive your ex is, mine takes the kids every night. I am looking into getting a different job now though, and wanted to throw this out there too, whole foods has great benefits and pay is decent. Good luck!

[guestmama9907]

I'm a web designer / developer. I taught my self to write code in about 6 months only studying and practicing while my dd was napping and at night. I already had a background in print graphic design but if you happen to be kind of geeky and think programming is something you might like I highly suggest it. Great pay and LOTS of opportunities. Community colleges offer loads of classes. XHTML / CSS, PHP, JAVA, or MYSQL / Apache are all in high demand.

I've also made good money being a nanny and a waitress.

[LoveOhm]

bump for emily!

[DaughterOfKali]

subbing to this thread.

I like what I'm doing now but will need a full time, steady income once my son is in 1st grade.

[LoveOhm]

Since there is a good thread going on single mamas & college I also wanted to bump this thread as a jumping off point for practical career ideas for single mamas.

Please add any good careers for single mamas!

[Holland73]

I am in elementary school teacher. Scheduling, vacations and, believe it or not, even salary (where I live) is wonderful. I am truly blessed.

BUT...it is a job that you need to have an internal passion/drive for. And not just a passion for children. It is an emotionally/physically exhausting job with very little "instant" gratification or appreciation.

[LoveOhm]

As food for thought US News has a couple great articles:

Best Careers 2008
http://www.usnews.com/features/busin...eers-2008.html

The Most Overrated Careers
http://www.usnews.com/articles/busin...d-careers.html

Career Chemistry: The Best Jobs for Six Personality Types
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech...eers.intro.htm

While these articles are not directly aimed at single mamas I think they are worth looking at if you are career searching.

[hkitty]

One of my friends is starting a landscaping business. We live in South Florida so landscaping is BIG here. I think she has a huge advantage considering it will be female owned and run. And single mom owned and run! She ultimately wants to niche market a butterfly gardening type of biz. She'll go in and help set it up, maintain it (or give info.), etc. Both of these ideas came from her love of plants. She wanted to get a degree in forestry but would have had to move to do that which isn't an option. Her Ex lives here and will never move since he also owns a business here.

Eventually this will be a good business that could really support her. As with anything just getting off the ground, right now she's doing a lot of grunt work in the hot, hot sun.

[muttix2]

I'm married but I got the job I have now purely to prepare for if/when dh and I divorce. He wanted me to take something else that paid about $20,000 more a year but that would have been a day job with a changing shift, not viable if we are to split.

I work in retail, overnight. It is ok money, it will be more in a few months when I can apply for the next position up. It pays enough so that if I were actually caught up on my bills I could pay my bills and buy food with some extra money. While I'm gone, the children sleep. If needed I can get my sister to spend the night at my house to watch the kids or if dh decides to not be a jerk about everything, the kids can spend the nights with him and days with me. They'd likely go over a couple hours before needed so that they could get some quality time with him before having to go to sleep.

[nataliachick7]

Originally Posted by muttix2

I'm married but I got the job I have now purely to prepare for if/when dh and I divorce. He wanted me to take something else that paid about $20,000 more a year but that would have been a day job with a changing shift, not viable if we are to split.

I work in retail, overnight. It is ok money, it will be more in a few months when I can apply for the next position up. It pays enough so that if I were actually caught up on my bills I could pay my bills and buy food with some extra money. While I'm gone, the children sleep. If needed I can get my sister to spend the night at my house to watch the kids or if dh decides to not be a jerk about everything, the kids can spend the nights with him and days with me. They'd likely go over a couple hours before needed so that they could get some quality time with him before having to go to sleep.

I always wondered how people function during the day and take care of kids when theyve worked all night?

[LoveOhm]

Can this thread be a sticky??

[tangent]

My job as professor has turned out to work out well from a single parent point of view, but I know that is not something you can train for in a few months. And honestly that wouldn't have been true in the pre-tenure days. Anyways.....

Working Mom magazine has a list of 10 ten companies to work for. A different perspective - sometimes the company is what matters most.

http://www.workingmother.com/web?service=vpage/859

[JenniferH]

After a long process (in my head) I've decided to pursue nursing. I got accepted to nursing school twice, and had to turn it down twice because I couldn't afford to quit work. Now I can't afford NOT to do it.

As the population ages, nurses are going to be in bigger demand. In fact, I don't think the demand for nurses is ever going to go away.

I'm taking my RN/BSN academic pre-reqs online from the local community college and getting them out of the way so I can go straight into nursing classes and clinicals and not have those extra classes taking up my time.

I honestly believe ANY healthcare field is the best thing for any single mother to get into. For a relatively short training period, the pay is very rewarding.

For LPN programs you can generally go 1 year, and they aren't as demanding as RN programs right off the bat. I personally wouldn't be a CNA, because they get all the shit work (literally!). If you are an LPN, you can fast track to RN while working and getting some experience under your belt.

Everyone I know in healthcare recommends a private practice or a nursing home for jobs. The pay and hours seem to be better, and there isn't as much BS to put up with.

My plan is to do RN, work and get some experience, preferably in maternal/infant nursing and then get my BSN a little at a time. The ultimate goal is to become a CNM or FNP.

I'm too old and have too much on my plate to go to Medical School and this is something I can do a piece at a time and still serve the community as a health practitioner while I'm fulfilling my educational goals. I also have an HR background to build on, but I don't know if that will benefit me in the long run or not. For now it just pays the bills (barely).

Jobs that are always in demand in this area seem to be:

-Respiratory Therapist
-Ultrasound Tech
-Dental Hygenist
-Nurses, especially RN's

[JenniferH]

Originally Posted by nataliachick7

I always wondered how people function during the day and take care of kids when theyve worked all night?

It isn't easy or fun, but it can be done.

[JenniferH]

Originally Posted by hkitty

One of my friends is starting a landscaping business. We live in South Florida so landscaping is BIG here. I think she has a huge advantage considering it will be female owned and run. And single mom owned and run! She ultimately wants to niche market a butterfly gardening type of biz. She'll go in and help set it up, maintain it (or give info.), etc. Both of these ideas came from her love of plants. She wanted to get a degree in forestry but would have had to move to do that which isn't an option. Her Ex lives here and will never move since he also owns a business here.

Eventually this will be a good business that could really support her. As with anything just getting off the ground, right now she's doing a lot of grunt work in the hot, hot sun.

Yep. Landscaping has been a booming business for the past few years. Unfortunately, it's a luxury for a lot of people, and luxuries are the first things to go out the window when the economy gets tight.

I was in her shoes a couple of years ago. I love plants and everything about them, even managed a commercial greenhouse for a while. I decided that starting a landscaping biz would be a mistake for me personally.

I wish her much luck, tempered with a healthy dose of caution! I just can't see starting a business right now until things settle down a bit.

[LoveOhm]

bumping this also for rosadesal! It really should be a sticky!

[DaughterOfKali]

Originally Posted by JenniferH

-Ultrasound Tech

I just had an ultrasound last week and the tech was saying how it's a great job to have. She said that imaging techs are always in demand.