Being a parent is a full-time job in itself, changing nappies, cleaning up messes, and soothing upset children. That’s not to mention all the household chores, such as cooking, shopping and keeping up with bills. 
However, with living costs rising, it can be tough to survive on one income as a family. You may also miss aspects of working life and want to keep your skills up-to-date for when you’re ready to re-enter the workforce full-time.
Finding a remote job as a stay-at-home mum is not always easy. The work needs to be completely online and flexible so that you can take care of your loved ones. At the same time, the job needs to pay enough so that you can contribute to the household finances and have a little extra money for yourself and your children.
Luckily, in the age of remote working, there are plenty of jobs available that can be done from home, while offering a flexible schedule. In this article, we’ll walk you through the complete guide to starting a remote job as a stay-at-home mum.
Decide on your goals
Before you start firing off applications, it’s a good idea to decide on the kind of job you’d like to pursue – the clearer you are, the easier it will be to narrow down your search and only focus on the opportunities that are truly a good fit.
A good place to start is by considering whether you want to work full-time or part-time, what your financial goals are, whether you are open to consulting, contract or freelance work and whether you have the required skills and experience for your preferred roles.
Take courses or further training
When you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, your skills may feel a little rusty. While going back to college or university is an option, there are plenty of ways to refresh your skills without studying full-time and without the costs.
For instance, you could take an online course on platforms such as Udemy, LinkedIn Learning and SkillShare, which offer free or low-budget courses. You could also check out libraries, careers sites or GOV.UK for resources on how to develop your skills or learn new ones.
Volunteer
If you’re looking to practice existing skills and develop new skills, it’s worth considering volunteering opportunities. While these are unlikely to be paid, in some cases, you could have your expenses or training costs covered.
Volunteering is not only a great way to give back to your local community, but also to gain new skills and experiences that can boost your employability. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn about marketing or dip your toes into the world of web development, volunteering opportunities span a wide range of industries and careers.
For remote volunteering opportunities, check out charities, volunteer organizations, universities and GOV.UK.
Polish your CV
As one of the most important parts of the application process, it’s essential that your CV showcases your skills and experience and allows recruiters and employers to quickly find the information you need, especially if there are employment gaps.
That’s why a simple, but effective structure is the reverse-chronological format, which places the focus on your most recent work and experience. In the work experience of your CV, you can simply explain gaps in your work history by acknowledging that you spent time at home.
In addition, a powerful personal statement or profile summary that highlights your skills, achievements and enthusiasm – all the things that make you a great fit for the role – can work wonders in getting recruiters’ attention.
Craft a cover letter
After polishing your CV, the next thing you’ll want to do is write a cover letter, which expresses your interest in the position and reiterates why you’re the best candidate for this role.
While it may be tempting to skip this step, a cover letter adds context to your CV and allows you to address employment gaps in more detail, as well as highlight transferable skills, such as time management, organization and multi-tasking skills. It’s a good opportunity to emphasize skills and experience acquired from previous jobs and to explain whether the break from your career gave you time to brush up your skills or keep up with industry trends and developments.
Start networking
One of the best ways to learn about new job opportunities is by connecting with people you know as well as people you don’t know. While this may take more planning and courage than simply searching online, tapping the hidden job market in this way can help you find the right job, make valuable connections and give you a head start over the competition.
As the world’s largest professional platform, LinkedIn offers a myriad of opportunities for connecting with like-minded professionals, whether through virtual events, industry-related groups or the various types of connections available. Being actively involved in discussions on posts can also go a long way towards establishing a presence on LinkedIn, as when people see an interesting discussion or comment, they’re more likely to visit your profile to see what you do.
Freelance
As more and more companies turn to freelancers to cut costs, it’s never been easier to find freelance opportunities, no matter the area of expertise. These opportunities can encompass writing, proofreading, event planning, transcription, sales, bookkeeping and accountancy, to name but a few.
To get started, decide which type of freelancing you want to do, so that you can narrow down your search. The next step is to create a CV and a portfolio that showcase your skills. Once you’ve done this, you can then market yourself on online job boards and social media channels.
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