Anonymous wrote:I think your idea that someone will take you back into the environmental field is a bit delusional. Did you do anything over the last 10 years to keep yourself current and relevant? If not I don't think you have a shot with that angle.

I don't agree. Our office just took on a lady part time who had been a SAHM and out of our field for 9 years. My profession also requires continuous professional development, with several annual updates and amendments, but she was given a chance. She is a hard worker and will probably be made a permanent employer in due course.

I just saw a PT telecommuting job with Practice Greenhealth. Not sure that is an exact match but worth a look.

I am the 6:36 poster. I am seeing more and more jobs permitting telecommuting coming online, so to speak. I really think this is going to be the norm in less than 5 yrs. but maybe you should start by looking for a PT job and get some experience before aiming to WAH. WAH may be the icing on the cake in your situation...

If you are organized you could do that type of business but there is much more to starting your own small business than just hoping people hire you. It really depends on your personality if this is the type of thing for you. Are you good at ready people, can bs your way into making them think you are the answer to all their problems? Do you think you would be good at marketing yourself? To make it more than a $100 a month type of thing you would have to be aggressive about advertising on things like social media etc. Word of mouth would be ideal for this but you can't just hope your first friend passes on your info.

You could probably call them (NAPO) and get some ideas on how to get started. Is your own home organized? If so, take pics and start a blog or a website with ideas. Post it to your FB account and circulate it among friends/family etc. You may have to do a couple of 'complimentary' jobs to get word out about your services and then start charging. Good luck! It's a good idea, but probably not something that will give you a regular paycheck.

If you think that you'll be able to get PT/WAHM jobs in your old field, start applying NOW.

OP here. These are some good ideas. Thanks!

In my field, it is not unheard of for someone to get a PT/WAH gig. I wouldn't say that it would be easy to get, and it would take a certain amount of luck, so I'm wondering if I should go ahead and make that effort? I have tried to stay relevant by volunteering for an environmental non-profit, but honestly, I haven't done much with them in the past 4-5 years as I've gotten so wrapped up in my kids' school and activities.

Anybody know anything about becoming a Professional Organizer? Lots of people have told me that I should do this, but I don't know anything about it as a career. Found a website that seems legit, called NAPO, but when I come across these websites, I have no clue how to tell which ones are legit. I mean, sometimes it's obvious, but not always.

I know it does seem to make more sense to wait until fall. Right now, I would just like to get my foot in the door so that I will be in a better place by then.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My degree is in Environmental Science, and that's my passion. I don't know if I should just start sending my resume to environmental firms and explain in my cover letter that I would be interested in PT/WAH? It's been so long and so much has changed in the past 10 years, I don't even know where to begin. My last resume was saved on a floppy disc, if that tells you anything!

Other than the environmental field, I have some experience in retail, and I'm also a pretty skilled photographer (no actual training though). I also have lots of experience working with kiddos - briefly worked as an outdoor educator and I've been a Girl Scout leader and Girls on the Run coach. Not interested in running a day care or anything like that, though.

I wouldn't expect to work while caring for my children. My youngest is in half-day kindergarten right now. When school is out, I would work during the evening and weekend hours while DH watches the kids. I have a strong support system of family and neighbors that could help out if I did need to work while the kids are home.

So no one is in daycare then, right? All are in school? Why don't you just wait until the fall when your youngest in in full-day school and try to find a part-time job that doesn't require you to work from home. What about a nature center? Mind you, it will still be difficult to find something PT in your field. Nowadays, you have to have exceptional computer skills, be well-versed in social networking, even know simple Web programming like HTML. You might have better luck just working retail.

Greenpeace

I'm going to assume that you are not a troll and this is not a 'bait' question.

It will be very difficult to find an employer who is going to allow you to work from home without knowing your background and reliability. Most WAHM opportunities present themselves after an employee has been with the company for a while and it is something that is negotiated between the employer and the employee.

What skills do you have that you could use to work from home? I do not know much about Environmental Science, but my predictions are that this is not a field that may offer a lot of WAHM PT opportunities, especially since you have not worked in this field for 10 years. Did you take any recent classes? Do you have computer skills/administrative experience?

You may have to get creative. Do you like the outdoors? You could open up a small dog walking business. Check with neighbors/friends/your child's school to see if any dogs need to be walked during certain hours/weekends (depending on your availability). You could also work for a professional pet sitting business. It will get you outside, exercise and you could earn some money.

Are you crafty? If you are able to come up with a unique idea, you could sell your products on Etsy. I have a friend who does this and while she doesn't make six figures (not even five..), it is fun and it gives her some spending money for personal things.

You could try to sign up with a Temp Agency and find temporary clerical work once in a while. If you are not too picky and you have reliable transportation, you should be able to pick up an assignment here or there. Of course, this would not be WAHM though.

I WAHM PT for my company and I also have a consulting business. I work when my DD is in school (8-3) and I may work a few hours in the evenings. But I have years of experience in this field and I have always worked.

I think, given this difficult economy, it will be very difficult to find something that is PT and WAHM for you, but I still wish you good luck in your job searchand I truly hope that you find something that interests you.

What do you know how to do? Who will pay you for that knowledge?

That is how you find project based work from home that you can do on your own schedule. You create the opportunities for yourself- you don't ask for them.

I haven't worked outside of the home since college. I've always worked from home.

Good luck.

I think your idea that someone will take you back into the environmental field is a bit delusional. Did you do anything over the last 10 years to keep yourself current and relevant? If not I don't think you have a shot with that angle.

OP here. My degree is in Environmental Science, and that's my passion. I don't know if I should just start sending my resume to environmental firms and explain in my cover letter that I would be interested in PT/WAH? It's been so long and so much has changed in the past 10 years, I don't even know where to begin. My last resume was saved on a floppy disc, if that tells you anything!

Other than the environmental field, I have some experience in retail, and I'm also a pretty skilled photographer (no actual training though). I also have lots of experience working with kiddos - briefly worked as an outdoor educator and I've been a Girl Scout leader and Girls on the Run coach. Not interested in running a day care or anything like that, though.

I wouldn't expect to work while caring for my children. My youngest is in half-day kindergarten right now. When school is out, I would work during the evening and weekend hours while DH watches the kids. I have a strong support system of family and neighbors that could help out if I did need to work while the kids are home.

What are your skills? What did you do before? I have my own PT business and make between $60 and $100 an hr but not everyone would be able to do it. So tell us more about yourself

Any reputable 9-5 employer isn't going to permit their employee to care for children while they are supposed to be working. I WAH PT and our office is virtual but our policies expressly state that children under age 12 may not be present unless they have a separate caretaker.

Now - if you have design or programming skills, I would think you might be able to pick up consulting work. But that's all I can come up with. Maybe others will have some ideas.

Anybody know of any reputable jobs out there? I'm not interested in sales or pyramid schemes. Just ready to start making some money after staying home for 10 years, but still want to be home because we can't afford day care. Any suggestions?