The work-life balance is never an easy thing, but it can be even more challenging when it’s a looking-for-work-life balance. Why? Well, because it’s unpredictable.
There are some major benefits to being at home while job hunting, but there are also some obvious drawbacks.
You can easily save on daycare because you can watch the kids yourself, but you may find some time management issues and interview scheduling issues.
So in this post, we’re going to explore six of the best tips for balancing parenting and job hunting at the same time. It can be done!
1. Keep a tight schedule for job searching
Try to schedule a time for your job hunt that you can stick to every day. If your little ones are especially little and/or need constant attention, this time may work best before they wake up in the morning. But if you leave your job search to chance, you may find that you’re never actually doing it. This is about controlling your day instead of letting it control you.
It’s true that parenting is your most important job, but if you’re going to be struggling to pay bills, that job search should be a very high priority.
2. Keep the kids busy
While you’re home, reserve one activity for whenever you need a few minutes to yourself for your job search, for example, you may want to limit screen time while you’re spending time with the kiddos, and give them access right before you have a phone interview. This way, you can be reasonably assured that they won’t be interrupting your call.
3. Have an on-demand sitter and backup
If you get a last-minute call about an in-person interview, you’re going to need childcare. Decide ahead of time what that will look like for your family. Can you drop the kids off at grandmas? Is there a neighborhood kid that can help out? As a last resort, you may want to set up an account with a local drop-in daycare. If childcare isn’t an issue, you can say yes to anything without hesitation. And that’s a positive sign for any potential employer.
4. Barter with stay-at-home moms
If you find that you need a little extra time or a change of pace, create a barter with one of your stay-at-home mom friends for childcare. Maybe they care for the kids one day a week, and you can take another. This will free up your time on your off-day to invest heavily into your job search.
5. Accept temporary remote work
If you can’t find your dream job at an office, consider a temporary work-from-home job so that you can take the pressure off of your job search. With some money coming in, you can feel free to take your time and find the ideal fit. You can find remote jobs in almost any industry, and you may even find that remote work suits you best.
Parenting can be a struggle when it’s your only focus, but it gets even more challenging with each additional task you add. And if you’re trying to find a job while being a full-time parent, you’ll definitely face some challenges. But if you follow the tips outlined here, you should be able to manage.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.