Flexible Careers To Take Up That Can Fit Around Your Family

If you have been a parent for a while and find that work is taking its toll, or if you have recently become a new Dad or Mum then you might find that you don’t want to be part of the daily 9-5 grind of office work.

For even though a career might state their hours are between these times, you need to leave earlier in the morning and leave later in the evening to factor in your commute, as well as often work overtime.

This can lead to you not being able to spend time or see your family as often as you like. You might miss out on putting your kids to bed or seeing them in the mornings and only be able to catch up with them at the weekends. Soon this can take its toll and if you find it’s not something you want to do anymore, you might be considering more of a flexible career.

There are many careers out there you can do that fit these boxes and it might be that you can transfer the skills you already have to a home-based role that will enable you much more freedom in your day-to-day life. If you are looking for a new career direction, we have put together some careers below that you could try.

What are some top tips before changing careers?

• Make sure you do your research. While you might find the idea of a certain role very appealing, the actuality of it might be very different. Do your research and try to speak to others who are in the position already that can answer any questions you might have.
• Check you are in a financial position to do so – If you are looking to switch to a role that is freelance for example, you need to make sure you are in the financial position to do so. It could be that you drop your current career to part-time hours and do both part-time until you’re earning enough to support yourself fully on a freelance basis.
• See if there are any qualifications you need – Once you’ve decided on the career you want to change to, make sure you have any necessary qualifications in order to secure the role. You might also need certain experience, so just check you are in the right position to tick the boxes for the job.

Look into cryptocurrency trading

Cryptocurrency is one of the largest markets out there and there is a lot of money to be made from digital finances. You could look into trading cryptocurrency as a way to bring in more money, or you could look at working in one of the industries that provide crypto to customers. it can be a good idea to look into what is blockchain technology and teach yourself the ins and outs of this.

Blockchain is basically a technology that provides an avenue for seamless transactions that happen within a network. Blockchains don’t have a central authority and assets that are tracked with blockchain can either be intangible or tangible. If you are good in the tech industry, you could look into helping to develop new blockchain technology or programs.

Become a freelancer

There are many roles within the freelance industry that can give you the freedom to work at home that you’re looking for. If you are a good writer and have experience in this, why not take this experience and run your own freelance writing business? You could write copy for businesses, blog articles, or website content.

Check out sites such as People Per Hour, Fiverr, or UpWork regularly post companies or individuals that are looking to have freelance roles filled. You could also look into becoming a freelance photographer – you could photograph weddings, products, fashion and so much more. Be sure to have the right insurance and experience for this as photography (particularly for weddings) is something that you can’t do again so need to get it right the first time.

Other fields you could go freelance in include marketing, website design, or as an illustrator. Freelancing can be a career that comes in peaks and troughs so you need to be prepared to sometimes earn more than other months.

Try to secure some solid monthly clients that will enable you to count on their income coming in regularly to try and retain a solid form of payment. This can help you to feel a lot more secure in the work that you do.

Look for a job in the hospitality industry 

The hospitality industry is known for its flexible shifts and that’s why it can be a great choice when you want to fit a job around your family. If you were to get a job in a bar or a restaurant that opens late, you might have to work a few long days and then have some days off. You could also work night shifts meaning you get the day off to spend with your family. The unpredictability of the shifts might be a nuisance for some, but to others, it can be a great way to juggle work and home life. You could always request to work certain days each week so you know the days you will be doing and can sort out your schedule in advance. Have a look at some of the restaurants, bars, and pubs near you to see if they have any vacancies and if there are any particular skills required in order to fill the role.

Become a delivery driver  

If you have a car, a delivery driver is another great career idea that offers flexibility. By becoming a delivery driver you can choose your own hours while also knowing there is steady income coming in.

You could be a food delivery driver, a package delivery driver, or even work for a company such as Uber or Bolt, delivering lifts to people. Find out about all the necessary insurance that you need for this role and you might need to go through things such as CRB and background checks.

You will need a vehicle that is reliable, in good condition, and has all the relevant insurance for what you are doing. Depending on the company, you can work as little or as much as you like, dropping hours if you have something on at home that you need to be there for, or picking up more hours if you need some extra cash that month.

Being a delivery driver is also a great job as you can spend time in your own vehicle, don’t have to worry about office politics or long hours and it can end up paying very well for the work that you do.

Turn a creative hobby into a career

If you are a creative person, there are many ways that you can turn this into a career by selling what you do. If you are an artist, you could take commissions for your work, painting pictures or doing drawings that you can then sell. If you are a photographer you could sell either photo that you take of people or turn images that you have captured into prints which you can then sell online.

There are many places you can sell these and you could also consider adding your images to stock sites such as Pexels, Shutterstock, and iStock where you get paid for the number of people who download and use your photos in their work.

Other creative hobbies that you could think about turning into a career include creating items such as bath bombs, custom boxes (such as bridesmaid proposal boxes), or custom clothing.

Look into sites such as Etsy, eBay, or even Facebook Marketplace as viable places to sell your wares. It could be worth creating a website and some social media channels that can back your work up and make you look like a more credible company. As with other careers like this, ensure you have the relevant insurance in space to cover your back.

These are just a few flexible careers to take up in 2022 that can fit around your family. Having a flexible career can be great as it enables you to spend more time at home while also bringing in an income that allows you to live comfortably.

Your family life is one of the most important things you will ever have and is something that you can’t get back, so it’s important to cherish it while you can.

When spending time with your kids, whether playing with them, reading children’s books, or picking them up from school, you will be grateful that you switched around what you do for a living. Just be sure to have a solid plan in place that will mean you can still pay your bills, afford food and not have to stress about money every week.

Have you switched to a more flexible career? Do you have any top tips that you can share? Let us know in the comments below we would love to hear from you!