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I'm always reading comments that say, "I changed careers to make it easier to be home more often." I want to know specifics. If you've made a change, what was your previous job, and what is the current one?”

Asked by el-e-e on 9th July 2010 | 3 replies

3 replies so far...

I was in corporate accounting prior to meeting my husband. He is an Air Force officer, which means we move a lot, plus I knew I wanted to be home for kids when we had them. I knew I needed work that was location independent -- something I can do everywhere we live.

First I became a yoga teacher (which I love!!!) but that isn't exactly a livelihood -- more like something I simply love sharing. When we moved to Italy, I worked part-time training staff on different collaborative technologies and social media for inward and outward facing diplomacy... that gave me the idea that I wanted to start a consulting and coaching business.

Now, I run my own business. I work with women who are starting small ventures who aren't jazzed about the business part of their venture. I help them write maps for their business, set up their systems, coach them in order to get around the limits that we all tend to put on ourselves and generally help them launch and grow their business.

I can do it all virtually, it uses the best of all my skills, and, I have enormous flexibility with my schedule, so my family can come first.

Hope that helps!!!

Flag as inappropriate Posted by the Business Yogini on 14th July 2010
I was working in public accounting, which involved long hours, a lot of BS meetings, and a lot of travel. The substantive work was interesting, but there was no way I could successfully re-structure it into a part-time or no-travel position, so I knew I needed to quit.

I looked at regular full-time positions in my field (but in private companies where little travel would be involved). The other opportunity was to join a friend in her entrepreneurial firm, in a field that is only remotely related but would still use the same basic talents. The choice was between a well-paying, well-structured job directly drawing on my experience that would require me to be out the door in a suit at 8am, versus a much lower-paying, less predictable job I'd have to learn from scratch that would allow me to work mostly from home in my jammies with some flexibility to take care of family stuff. I chose the latter. I do not regret my choice. It hasn't worked out exactly as I'd planned, but no job ever does, right?

I did have my finances in order before my kids came along. I had my home & car paid off, my kids' education fund funded, and a few bucks in the bank, so I could be less concerned about income. On the other hand, my kids don't have a father to help out.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by SKL on 12th July 2010
I did not change my career field, but negotiated a part time schedule. However, I work in healthcare and had established myself at a practice before I could do that. I think coming right out of school it would have been difficult to do, but since I had marketable skills I was able to ask for what I wanted. I was working five days/week. Now I work three seven hour days so I can drop off my oldest at school and pick her up at a decent time. I know this is not as easy in many career fields, I have a friend that desperately wants to work part time instead of 40-50 hours/week, but she is a manager in a field that there is no way that will happen. It is all or nothing for her, and she cannot afford to stay home. Alot of areas of healthcare are open to varied/part time schedules, it seems like some work at home jobs are also available part time as well. I will be interested to see some of the responses, great question.

Flag as inappropriate Posted by ne on 9th July 2010