By Lisa Manterfield - Yahoo Education
Is your career causing you chronic stress?Consider exploring careers known for their flexibility.
According to a study conducted by the National Council for Family Relations, an organization focused on family research, flexible work hours can actually reduce stress and help employees strike a healthier balance between work and family life.
Sound like something you might be interested in? Check out these careers that could help you in your pursuit of work-life balance.
Do you want non-traditional hours?
While having evenings and weekends off could make it easier to spend your free time with family and friends, there can be perks to working non-traditional hours, too. Having time off while everyone else is at work means you could be free to run errands, schedule appointments, and enjoy your favorite activities without having to fight the crowds. Check out these career options known for non-traditional hours.
Chef
• Work-Life Balance: In breakfast cafes, fine restaurants, and all-night diners, chefs can often find themselves working odd hours. But if this suits your lifestyle - and your love food - this might be a good option for you to explore.
• Average Salary: Chefs have an average yearly salary of $44,780, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.*
• Education Options: Culinary Arts Certificate/Diploma, Associate's in Culinary Arts
Medical Assistant
• Work-Life Balance: Although many work a regular 40-hour week, according to the Department of Labor, the extended hours at physicians' offices, clinics, and hospitals could potentially create opportunities for part time, evening, or weekend hours.
• Average Salary: Medical assistants have an average salary of $29,760, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.*
• Education Options: Medical Assisting Certificate/Diploma, Associate's in Medical Assisting
Do you want to work from home?
In 2008, Inc., a magazine for small business owners, reported that 82 percent of business managers expected the number of remote workers to increase over the following five years. Consider taking advantage of this potential trend by exploring the following opportunities.
Virtual Assistant
• Work-Life Balance: According to the Department of Labor, virtual assistants are freelancers who often work at a home office. They use the Internet, e-mail, fax, and the phone to communicate with clients about administrative, creative, or technical support services.
• Average Salary: According to the online careers database Simply Hired, the average annual salary for a virtual assistant is $45,000.*
• Education Options: Office Administration Certificate/Diploma, Associate's in Office Administration
Computer Support Specialist
• Work-Life Balance: According to the Department of Labor, a growing number of companies allow computer support specialists to work remotely, and often with flexible hours.
• Average Salary: The average annual salary for computer support specialists is $47,360, according to the Department of Labor.*
• Education Options: Bachelor's in Computer Science
Do you want seasonal and/or contract work?
If "seasonal work" conjures up images of camp leaders and department store Santas, you might be surprised by these careers that could offer flexible schedules year round. Keep reading to learn more...
Accountant
• Work-Life Balance: According to Simply Hired, there is a growing trend in companies to hire contract accountants to help with additional workload at year-end or tax time, or for special projects, such as audits. Accountants might work long hours during these times, but they could also be able to pick contracts that suit their schedules.
• Average Salary: According to the Department of Labor, the average annual salary for an accountant is $68,960.*
• Education Options: Bachelor's in Accounting
Teacher
• Work-Life Balance: One of the perks of teaching is the potential for long summer breaks. Even in districts with year-round school, teachers might work an eight-week schedule, followed by a one-week vacation and a five-week midwinter break.
• Average Salary: Average salaries for teachers range from $51,550 for kindergarten teachers to $55,990 for secondary school teachers, according to the Department of Labor.*
• Education Options: Bachelor's in Education
___
It is typical for an individual to think they cannot enroll in a college degree program because they do not have the time. I can relate to that issue. I completed my BA and MBA programs at Long Island University (LIU) and LIU Grad School at night while I worked full time in an executive position and was also married with one child. I will say it was not easy but my wife and I agreed that earning my degrees would enhance my compensation and our quality of life. I set a goal to complete my degrees within 6 years. I only wish we had an online option at that time as I would have saved 4 to 6 hours per week in travel time. If you set a goal and recognize the benefits you and your family can set aside the time you need to complete course work. The Florida Department of Education estimates that a 3 credit course requires approximately 9 hours a week to complete the course work. That is 1.28 hours per day. If you take two 3 credit courses you need to estimate about 3.5 hours per day to complete 2 courses. What is the benefit? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study estimates that a person working 40 years the lifetime earnings is more than $3 million for a degree individual compared to a non degreed person. That is a good incentive to earn a degree. That study is on the Innova World Wide College website – www.iwwcollege.com. It is on the bottom of the home page.
The flexibility to earning an online degree is another benefit. Course material is provided by the professor on IWWC’s e-learning platform as is the course reading assignments. The instructor usually establishes a chat time that is agreeable to the students. The students can ask questions by posting them on IWWC e-learning platform which allows all students to view the questions and responses from the professor. IWWC terms are 8 weeks. I believe that a students retention of the course material is significantly enhanced in an 8 week program than the traditional 16 week term.
Whether you are employed full time or a stay at home adult raising a family you can allocate time to earn a Bachelor’s degree. I believe a business degree is more desirable because of the flexibility within business and the employment potential. The financial benefits are clearly shown in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study which is on the IWWC website.
James F. Marquart, CAE, MBA
Founder and President/CEO
Innova World Wide College
No comments:
Post a Comment