6 Ways Busy Moms Can Change Their Career Path
Going back to school or changing careers is entirely possible, even when you’re a busy mom. While it may feel like an insurmountable hill to climb, there are multiple ways to change directions in your career especially when you have a degree completed or you’re only a few credits shy. Even if you don’t, with technology, there are endless opportunities if you’re willing to put in the time. It may require prioritizing school over binge-watching Netflix, making some tweaks to your finances, giving up your work breaks to study, and asking for help from family and friends. Here are some of the ways that busy moms can change their career paths.
Internships
Did you know that you can do an internship with a company even if you’re not still in college? Often companies will pay interns for work over the course of a set amount of time. This gives interns the opportunity to learn new things, improve their job skills, and earn a little money at the same time. While it’s a temporary gig, many businesses end up offering jobs to their best interns.
Get a New Certification
Certification sometimes trumps college courses, especially when it comes to the tech world. Moms who get certified can have a leg up when they apply for jobs in new industries.
 Certificate courses can be the ticket into a new career path. Certifications prove that you have the skills needed to do specific jobs. They are more than just completing a class. Once you learn about the topic, you often need a high score on the test in order to get the certification.
Take Online Courses
Sometimes taking a few online courses is enough to give you the tools you need to break into a new career path. People going from teaching to business can often learn what they need to know to get started in a handful of classes for instance as opposed to completing an entire degree. Online classes are great because sometimes you can do them at your own pace instead of needing to be in class at a certain time. You can also take non-collegiate courses to learn specific skills. There are online classes in social media management, creating Facebook ads, graphic design, photography, and so much more. All these skills can easily lead to a new career path for the busy mom.
Pursue a Graduate Degree
If your undergraduate degree isn’t giving you what you need, you may need to pursue further education. Before you go saying that you don’t have the time, many programs are now designed for busy adults. Switching from doing low-level research with your science degree to becoming a physical therapist may only require you to complete a physical therapy graduate program. A graduate degree can often be done a class or two at a time and sometimes through the summers so that you can get done more quickly.
Pursue a Second Bachelor’s Degree
Maybe you need a whole new degree altogether. A second bachelor’s degree could be just the ticket you need to switch careers. The great thing is that it often takes far less time to complete a second degree than it did the first. This is because, in some instances, you can transfer the credit from your general education courses to count toward your new degree.
Start a Small Business
Okay, while a small business isn’t necessarily the same as a career working for someone else, it can prove to be very fulfilling and lucrative compared to what some people do for a career right now. Think about how to take what you know and turn it into a money-making venture. Artists can create NFTs, teachers can create online courses, and those with experience caring for children can open home daycares.
Being a busy mom is a real thing and it’s hard not to put everyone else first. When you are miserable with the work you do now or you need to earn more income for the hours you put in, it’s possible a new career path would work for you. It may mean that the whole family will temporarily need to make a few minor sacrifices so that mom can make the adjustments she needs, but in the end, it’ll be worth it.
