Work

In the past decade, being a stay-at-home-mom became a popular trend, which was highly publicized in the media. Many women happily traded successful careers to stay home and raise their kids. Years later, as their children are now reaching school age, some of these women want to return to the workforce on a part-time basis in order to balance their desires for professional involvement with the changing needs of their families.

“Ideally, I want to find part-time work I can do from home while the kids are in school,” says Kelly Cantley, a former marketing executive living in Canton, GA. “I love being a stay-at-home mom, and I am also interested in putting my marketing skills to use again. I want to find meaningful assignments where my experience will be valued, but I also want flexibility in my schedule. I know opportunities are out there, but I just don’t know how to find them.”

Cantley’s sentiments about striking a life-work balance and locating a part-time opportunity are growing increasingly common. So, how does a professional — especially someone who has been out of the workforce for a few years — find meaningful part-time work? Thanks to innovative online resources, what may have seemed like a pipe dream only a few years ago is now becoming a reality.

“While many people looking for part-time opportunities may not consider themselves as freelancers our infrastructure of matching skilled professionals with real projects may be just what they are seeking,” explains Kyle Tinsley, president of iFreelance.com. “With a resource such as our site, professionals can find work that utilizes their skills and fits their schedules.”

Interestingly, many businesses are eager to embrace the idea of a freelance job board resource, and for good reason. Traditional recruiting costs for part-time or temporary employees can be prohibitively expensive. By posting specific freelance opportunities to a job board site, businesses are able to connect with qualified resources to help them accomplish specific tasks, thus saving time and money. Individuals looking for work also benefit. Many freelance jobs fall into one of a variety of categories such as writing or graphic design.

“As a freelance writer, grant researcher, business consultant, computer systems design engineer and fine artist, I have found iFreelance.com to be a tremendous asset in effectively promoting my broad range of skills,” says Kate Gordon of Great Falls, MT. “In the first four months alone, I averaged $3,600 a month.”

Because of Gordon’s diverse abilities, she promotes her skills by placing multiple specialized profiles on the site. She receives a customized list of 20-30 opportunities matching her skills virtually every day. She bids on the ones she likes and leaves the rest.

“This freelance job board really works to grow your business from scratch and is ideal for work-at-home moms and professionals alike,” Gordon explains. “You can put in your time in a flurry or spread it out. It is also true that the more positive reviews you receive, the higher your approval rating climbs, which brings in more offers. This exponential popularity has brought me more work than I can sometimes handle.”

Gordon also enjoys the freedom of being an independent contractor. “You get to be autonomous, creating your own terms and level of effort, yet fully engaged with the people you are doing work for and really remaining an active part of the whole process. There is no fueling up the car to run across town to a day job just to earn enough to drive home and feed the family. I am actually earning a living wage now; this resource has brought the world home to me.”

Another site offering helpful career tips and work-from-home suggestions is Mommysavers.com. The site is dedicated to helping parents make the most of their time and money and was started by Kimberly Danger in April 2000 while she was home on maternity leave. In a section for work-at-home moms, the site offers profiles of successful business owners, provides numerous job ideas and offers many helpful articles on starting a business.

“For a mother with young kids, working from home may seem like the best of both worlds: having something interesting to do, spending more time with family, and also making some money,” Danger explains. “Finding a job to do from home not only provides extra cash; it can also be a great way to keep you intellectually stimulated and create a sense of accomplishment.”

With the growth of technology over the past decade, working from home is easier than ever. “The internet makes telecommuting possible, and brings a worldwide marketplace to your front door,” Danger says. “For these reasons, women entrepreneurs are one of the fastest growing segments in our economy. The resources we have on Mommysavers.com help moms get started with finding the right job for her interests and lifestyle. We also help with the success of her home business through articles, tips and work-at-home mom profiles.”

During the past few years, there has been a virtual explosion of online resources designed to help people work in new and different ways. As our attitudes about achieving a positive life-work balance continue to evolve, it seems these tools will likely become even more important in the future.

Lori Reed Tilt is a former stay-at-home mom turned entrepreneur. She is the owner of Tilt Marketing in Canton, GA. For more information, please visit: http://www.tiltmarketing.com