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SmartCentsMom

A Work-From-Home Mom’s Guide to Finding Jobs

A woamn holds a phone while a child sits on her lap.

So, you want to work from home? I get it. As a busy mom, working from home can be a great option. It offers tons of amazing benefits particularly when it comes to flexibility. Trying to coordinate work, kids’ schedules, a house, and some semblance of a social life can feel overwhelming, especially if you add in a long commute.

If you’re ready to trade in your office job for something more flexible, re-enter the workforce after some time away, or if you’re a seasoned remote worker just looking for something new, we’ve got you covered.

A Mom’s Guide to Finding Work-From-Home Jobs

Is a work from home job right for you?

While working from home can be great, it’s not the right option for everyone. Some people enjoy all of the socializing and impromptu conversations that come with a regular job and thrive in an office environment.

If you’re new to the idea of working from home then before you start searching for job options, it’s important to determine if working from home is the right choice for you. To help you decide, here’s a list of the pros and cons:

The pros:

  • Increased flexibility. The ability to work around your family’s schedule
  • More time. No hair, make-up, or shower required
  • Decreased stress. Say goodbye to your two-hour commute in rush hour traffic
  • Saves you money. Save on gas, car maintenance, your work wardrobe, and expensive lunches
  • Fewer distractions. No more uninvited chats from co-workers that linger at your desk for far too long
  • More control. You’re in charge of the temperature, the sound, and even the smell in your workspace

The Cons:

Of course, like most things in life, there are two sides to this coin. Some of the cons to be aware of include:

  • Loneliness. Working by yourself can get lonely
  • Blurred lines. No separation between work and home
  • More distractions. Instead of coworker conversations, you might be distracted by the sink full of dirty dishes
  • A hit to your physical appearance. When you work alone, there’s no need to do your hair, put on nice clothes, or even shower (yikes!)

How to search online for work from home jobs

Start with Google

You can start your work-from-home job search by hitting up your good friend Google.

If you have a specific job or company in mind, the simplest place to start is with a Google search. All you have to do is enter the words “remote + job title + jobs” (e.g., remote marketing jobs or remote writing jobs) and you’ll get a whole list of options.

Search women- and mom-focused job boards

There are some amazing online resources that are specifically curated for women and moms looking for flexible work options.

Smart Cents Mom

When it comes to working from home, Smart Cents Mom has you covered. We discuss everything from how to balance motherhood and working from home to tips on how to manage your time, kids and schedule when working from home.  Smart Cents Mom is all about empowering and equipping moms with the knowledge and ideas they need to start working from home.

Power to Fly

Power to Fly  is a free service that allows you to easily search for jobs using a specific job title, company, or keywords. Their goal is to close the gender gaps in tech-related industries (and beyond) by connecting their members with hiring managers and also by holding networking events. After you sign up you’ll have access to a number of services including:

  • Free coaching
  • Resume review
  • Invite-only events with top executives
  • Company reviews completed by women

Hire My Mom

Hire My Mom is a membership site that was established in 2007 with the goal of helping moms find legitimate work-from-home options. This site requires a small fee to get started but this fee is worth it because (in their words) it helps to “keep the number of job seekers to a reasonable size vs a “free” membership where you are competing with tens of thousands of other job seekers.”

Hire My Mom gets every job posting directly from the employer and does not pull job ads from the internet. This means that many of the jobs posted on their site are not found elsewhere online. Like the other sites on this list, they also do their due diligence to ensure that no scams are posted on their site.

The Mom Project

The Mom Project works with you to find jobs that are truly flexible and will allow you to juggle everything involved with mom life. They work with family-friendly employers who get what it’s like to be a working parent. This site targets professional moms who have an undergrad or graduate-level degree and 6-12 years of working experience. The service is free for job seekers.

Second Shift

Second Shift is a membership site that matches companies with on-demand talent (that’s you). Their goal is to keep women in the workforce by offering flexible, part-time roles and project work.

The Second Shift specializes in matching highly skilled workers (minimum 10 years of professional experience) who are available for short-term or part-time projects in the areas of marketing, finance, human resources, and business services. There is no fee to join Second Shift, however, if you successfully match with a company you will be charged a 5% fee for each invoice submitted.

Expand your search with remote job boards

Flex Jobs is a subscription-based online service that helps users find remote and flexible job options. With your subscription, you get access to a database full of jobs that have been pre-screened to ensure their legitimacy. Flex Jobs claims to screen all of their jobs and companies based on four criteria:

  • Professional jobs (from entry-level to executive)
  • Flexible options (remote, freelance, alternative schedules)
  • High quality (no sifting through scam jobs)
  • Satisfaction guarantee (if you don’t have a good experience they will refund your money within 30 days)

Remotive is another site that focuses exclusively on remote jobs with opportunities from a variety of locations around the world. Simply type your search terms into the Google-like search bar and a list of remote jobs pops up for you to search through. Again, these jobs are hand-picked with the goal of avoiding scams and junk jobs.

We Work Remotely claims to be the “largest remote work community in the world” boasting more than 2.5 million monthly visitors. They also post over 500 new jobs each month from locations all around the world. If you subscribe to their email list, We Work Remotely will send relevant job postings to your email on a daily basis.

Jobspresso offers a curated list of high-quality remote jobs that have been thoroughly reviewed to ensure that you won’t be sifting through scammy postings. Jobspresso is a free service that allows you to browse through their job listings and post a resume for those looking to hire.

Go Job hunting on Amazon

You get everything else from Amazon — so why not an at-home gig, too? Amazon has one of the biggest workforces in the country, and many of its workers are part-time and at-home. The company has lots of open roles that can be perfect for busy moms. Check out the Amazon jobs board and these tips on what you need to know to get hired by Amazon.

Don’t give up

You might not find a stellar work-from-home job on your first attempt. However, if you keep at it, if you keep searching, pitching and networking, you will make progress.

Don’t get caught up looking for the “perfect” fit, just get in there and try some things out. Take on a small project or try your hand at freelancing and see how it feels. Every opportunity you accept provides you with more experience, connections, and something else to put on your resume.

–By Jessica Martel 

SmartCents Mom