How to choose a great career when you have a family?
Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash
There are points in life when changes are necessary for a family. For instance, purchasing a bigger home as your family grows, ordering pamper delivery service with the birth of a newborn, or moving closer to elderly parents who can no longer care for themselves. It is inevitable because there is nothing to be done about life changes. There will also be decisions made about changing careers and different things must be taken into account when making that decision. Continue reading to discover why adults make decisions to change their careers and get some tips for choosing a great career when you have a family.
As an employee fresh out of college, there is nothing insurmountable when you get a job in the career of your dreams. You will move to a new state, commute for over an hour each way, and even work late into the night. However, when you have a family, your career decisions are based on them as well as you. Some things that you think about when making a decision are:
Seeking less commute time
Regardless of the pay, you are working for, there is nothing worse than a long commute, especially if you have a family. Commute times are a waste of the beginning and end of your day. It is time that you could be at home nurturing your family. Therefore, instead of sitting in hours of traffic, seek out a job that is closer to home with less commute.
Research has also shown that commuting long distances is bad for your health. Your health is affected because:
You have less time for exercise.
You are subjected to more pollutants.
You are too alert to rest during sleep hours at night.
Traffic is a stress inducer.
You are less likely to socialize after work.
Seek a flexible schedule
Working a nine to five is optimal for some employees but if you have a family, you know that those hours every day can be challenging. Those hours leave you no time to take care of other business for your family since those are typical business hours. Therefore, having a job with flexibility is a great option for a nine-to-five schedule. Flexible hours mean that you can show up at 7 am and get off by 3 pm. It also means that you can come in later if you have a morning appointment.
You can also consider a career where you create your own schedule. That includes jobs like housing inspector, freelance writer, or even a real estate agent. They are all great careers and easy to get started in. Lookup a real estate license course in your area to get started. The flexibility of these jobs means that you can be at home when your children wake up and there to tuck them in bed at night. They hardly know you have a job. Another plus is that a lot of your work can be done from home.
Positive work/life balance
When you are looking for a career change and have a family, you want to ensure that you are seeking a company that is proud of its focus on the work-life balance for its employees. Companies who realize that when employees are happy and able to enjoy their families perform better are becoming more commonplace. They realize that even during work hours, your number one responsibility is to your family and they want it that way.
Close to school or child care facility
As a part of a family, especially if you have small children, you always want to be close to those you love. That means that when you drop your children off at school or a child care facility, you don’t want to drive a hundred miles to your office. Being close means that if there is an emergency, you can get to your children and know they are safer with you. There is peace in knowing that you can get to your children in a few minutes if there is an emergency.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are some decisions and tips for choosing a great career when you have a family. Use the tips above to find a career that works for both you and your family.