Getting On The Career Ladder As A Single Parent- How Can It Be Done?

mother playing a game with her young child

It’s not often we choose to become single parents. It happens for a whole variety of reasons, relationship breakdowns, escaping an abusive relationship, the death of a spouse or even just poor planning. But one of the results of finding yourself in that situation is that it’s very difficult to work and even get started for some people who have never really been on the career ladder before. Here are some great ideas of how to get that job or experience and get your life back on track.

Start Off Part Time
One of the best ways to get back into work if you have had some time away is to get a part time job. If you look around there are plenty of employers who are happy to hire part time parents and this can help with hours that allow school drop off and pickup. The big win here is that you avoid huge childcare costs which is the single biggest barrier to single parents getting back into work.

Work From Home
You can work from home. There are so many working from home opportunities these days that there are quite a few ideas. If you are creative you can write or design from home and pick up work from freelancing websites. There are also opportunities to do admin and virtual assistant work online or over the phone, or customer service roles like this as well.

Go Back To Study
If you aim to have a professional role then maybe it’s going back to studying that would be best long term for you. Be thorough and research what you want to do and what job opportunities there will be at the end of it as you don’t want to be wasting your time. There are studying opportunities at all levels from NVQ Courses right up to degree level so no matter what level you’re coming in at there is an option for you. Of course, you'll need to find a study program that fits around your parenting so flexible hours are a must. Search your local area for opportunities, eg after school programs in Columbia, MD (or wherever you live). 

Volunteer
If you are struggling for experience then maybe taking up a voluntary role will give you that work experience. Even if it just for a few hours per week, it's a big difference from no experience to some in a working environment. You will even have a manager or supervisor who can provide a reference which is invaluable when looking for work.

Start Your Own Business
If you are ambitious you can start your own business. There are many ideas you can put into action, such as dog walking and pet sitting. You can even produce and sell your own products and I’ve seen such diverse creations as arts and crafts, soaps, dolls and toys, clothes and the list of possibilities is almost endless! Whatever you do, it's good advice to properly plan it out, work out your income and outgoings to get a sustainable profit margin and take advice from a business advisor before you take that plunge.