How Can I Manage My Career While Being A Mom?

No matter how successful women have juggled their work life and their family life, many working moms still report to be overworked and overwhelmed. 

Your typical full-time working mother in the US, in jobs at home or in careers that require them to personally report at an office, say that a lot of the household work of day-to-day chores still fall on mothers to do. This is according to a research by Pew Research in 2021. 

Over time, the number of households with both parents working full-time has dramatically increased in the US. This also gave rise to job opportunities for moms who return to work after giving birth, or when the children have grown, or take on the balancing of both a full-time job and family. 

Balancing family life and a full-time career for moms

The struggle is still very real, though, but there are some simple management strategies that moms can do to find this balance. 

• Understand the expectations of family life and work life and match them with your priorities. 

Before even balancing the many things to do for both parts of your life, it is essential that you clearly note where you are in your career and where you would like to go. This includes making sure you know why you are working.

Is it to fulfill a life mission or give expression to your passion? Or is it more of earning for the family and helping create financial security? 

In addition, what are your goals as a mom to your kids and your role as a wife to your partner? What are your negotiables and non-negotiables when it comes to your service to your family? 

The hardest thing to do and the one that will cause you a lot of stress eventually would be trying to do all things for both family life and career, not knowing your priorities. 

Because by making your priorities clear, you are able to accommodate the things most important, delegate things that you consider negotiable, and say no to things that are not serving your goals at present. 

• Make realistic plans that consider your family’s needs, your career goals, and your self care. 

Create a schedule that can guide you in time management and allocation. Put your commitment in your schedule and stick to them, because your schedule will be your ally against lack of motivation in the future. 

Your schedule should also include personal time or me time and date time with your partner, aside from work and house chores. This way, you are taking care of yourself and the most important people in your life. 

• Take advantage of the perks your career offers you to optimize your work-life balance. 

If you have a more flexible job schedule, create a system where you can be as productive at work as you can be. This can be through managing tasks using apps and online tools. 

Organize your tasks and projects around the time slot where you can focus and are energized, so that you can do more things in a shorter period of time. 

The truth is that careers for mothers will always be fraught with its own joys and challenges. The way we set expectations with our loved ones, the way we organize our tasks, and use our time will affect the time we have left, and the energy we have to do important tasks. 

Manage your tasks, and manage your energy. This way, you still have something left for yourself and your loved ones. 

Online job boards assist you to find the perfect job match. Check out our extensive list of jobs and resources that connect you with your next career in healthcare!