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Struggling to get back out there
This is my first post here so I apologize if I overshare or don't share enough. I'm not sure what the rules are yet.
I've been a stay at home mom for almost 17 years now. I didn't intend to be out this long but I've had so many hardships to deal with that it just wasn't in the cards to get a job. In 2006 my first husband took his life and I struggled with that for years. I dealt with PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety yadda yadda. I was fortunate enough that my parents let my daughters and I live with them while I dealt with my mental health issues. Eventually I met someone and he was very understanding of my situation and was kind enough to agree to me being a stay at home mom. Fast forward 8 years and he and I ended up having a son in 2014. At that point putting my son in daycare was out of the question. I raised my daughters and I felt it was fair I raise my son too.
Now that all of my kids are in school, I'm home all day with our 3 dogs. I still struggle daily with depression and anxiety but I want to get back out there. I'm hoping having something important to do during the day like helping to support our family will help with my depression. Here is the other thing though; we live in rural Minnesota and I'm terrified to drive in the snow and ice. We live 7 miles from town but sometimes the roads are too icy and I get panic attacks just thinking about driving out there.
I've been looking for online work for 2 weeks now and have come up empty handed. If its not a scam, then I'm not qualified or skilled enough for the position. Being out of work for so long has hindered my ability to contribute any real skills for a job. I've looked into blogging but I don't have anything to blog about and its not a guarantee that I would get paid for it. We are always going paycheck to paycheck and I really want to help my husband support our family. He works 3 jobs during certain times of the year and I have felt horrible about it. Any suggestions? Leads? Connections?
Thank you all for the suggestions and resources. I'll definitely be looking into everything. Also, thanks for not criticizing me or giving me a hard time about what I shared.
I am also searching for a remote job as someone currently working in an office setting. There’s TONS of job boards out there today, but filtering through what is actually legit Is the tough part. I’d start with themomproject.com where you could potentially find remote and project based roles (they are VERY supportive of moms returning to work). Then check on Facebook - there are a ton of work from home/remote groups that post opportunities. “Pajama Dresscode” and “Work from home without selling anything” would be two good ones for what you’re searching for.
There is something called a “virtual assistant” as well- depending on your background and skills you could set up a freelancing business helping other small businesses with administrative, marketing, social media, or other tasks.
I run a blog for working moms and I’m a huge supporter and believer in flexible work, if you have any more questions feel free to reach out!
https://theworkingmomcollective.com/
I'm probably one of the few people out there that does not use Facebook anymore. But I appreciate the other resources you mentioned, I'll look in to them!
Best of luck in your journey. I took 20 years "off" to raise my kids but during that time I volunteered at my kids schools and in the community and helped friends with admin/odd jobs. All of these unpaid volunteer jobs served me well when I upskilled and started interviewing as I had stories to tell interviewers when they said "tell me a time you...." My upskilling group were very supportive and I got tickets to attend conferences and meet employers. I also joined many groups both meetups and online. Good luck to you in your journey and sending you best wishes in your journey. Fingers crossed for you.
Hi there. There are some Facebook groups for female travelers where I constantly see posts from women asking about remote work opportunities (because they wish to do extended travel). Join those groups and search through the posts, you might get some ideas there. Good luck!
First of all, congratulations to you! You have been very resilient and have done extremely well by your family.
I agree with the suggestion of teaching English online. There are many young students from Asia who want to learn English.
Three questions, so that we can suggest more ideas for you:
1. Did you work outside the home at any point? If so, what was/were your role/s?
2. How about school studies— what subjects did you enjoy studying?
3. Other skills/interests/talents?
When I was 21 I was a customer service manager. I've tried to use that on applications and the response I get back is that its too old to use as a work history. So I feel like a teenager with nothing to offer. But I know I do, I just have to find the right fit.
Are you crafty? I know a few people who have online stores of their own or use Etsy to sell handcrafted items (ornaments, jewelry, cards, etc.). You mentioned that you tried blogging, but have you looked into copywriting? Try PeoplePerHour or Upwork - I haven't used them myself so can't give an opinion but those are two that I've heard of. If you're really good at a certain school subject you can do online tutoring or you can do English tutoring virtually for children in other countries. Hope this helps!
Huge hug for all that you have endured and good for you for recognizing that you might be ready to be 'back!". I was out of work for over 10 years & I knew that I needed a reason to put makeup on in the morning and not give in to the 'stay at home' stereotype. There are so many remote jobs out there-
https://www.ryrob.com/remote-jobs-websites/
Two weeks is nothing! I looked for 2 years.
Also- force yourself to get a great photo and update your LinkedIn profile. Highlight what you have to offer.
Connect with people. Follow job search gurus that give pointers on how to structure your search. Good luck- the days of self pity behind you- do something that you love for YOU, not just to add $$ to your household.