There is probably no need to go into too much detail on why stay-at-home moms will benefit from having an extra source of income. Having a child always comes with a lot of additional expenses. And, no matter how stable your financial situation may be, having some extra revenue can come in very handy.
Unfortunately, most new mothers will face difficulties when seeking employment — especially when it comes to full-time employment in its traditional sense. However, thanks to the development of modern technology, there are also more options for stay-at-home moms to build careers online — or, at least, make some extra money.
We explore some of these options below.
Table of Contents
Online jobs for stay-at-home moms
The online job market has been steadily growing for the past decade. And, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the development of online job platforms has accelerated.
Thus, today, there are lots of options for working online. What you need to do is figure out what you can do and how much time you can spare.
However, there are several limitations to consider that might affect most stay-at-home moms willing to work from home:
- First, there is the lack of time. Taking care of a child is pretty much a full-time job. This places a lot of emphasis on time management and organization — and makes it essential to find a job that doesn’t come with overly strict time constraints.
- Second, it’s best to find a position that is flexible and doesn’t come with a strict working schedule. This will give the new mother the option to plan her day the best way she sees fit without interrupting the day of her young child.
- Third, it needs to be worth it. Spending time away from your child is a difficult compromise for any mother. Thus, it is important that the work you do comes with high ROI and lets you cover at least some basic expenses.
Based on the considerations above, we’ve collected a few ideas for promising online careers for stay-at-home moms. Here are some of our choices:
Copywriter/Content writer
Copywriters deal with the written word — in all of its formats. They write copy for ads, marketing materials, blog posts, magazine articles, and lots more. To become a copywriter, you don’t necessarily need any formal education. However, what you do need are strong writing and communication skills, technical knowledge (at least in the basics), research and problem-solving abilities, creative thinking, and more.
Copywriters can work for a variety of businesses as well as professional ad agencies. To find work as a copywriter, you can check local and international job search sites, join professional freelance platforms like Upwork, keep an active profile on Linked and other platforms, and more. You can also reach out to companies that may need content for their blogs and offer you assignments directly.
Online teacher
Online teaching is another popular option that may not require too big of a learning curve — depending on what you plan to teach, of course. Language teaching is one of the most popular options in the online career world. If you are proficient in a popular language like English, Spanish, French, etc. you may find work online by giving private Skype lessons or joining an online teaching platform like italki.
Alternatively, you can also help people master a specific skill: cooking, knitting, playing a musical instrument, etc. Platforms like Skillshare can help you both find students and polish your skills.
Virtual Assistant
The job of an assistant is to offer administrative services to clients. The job of a virtual assistant is to do pretty much the same — but online. Some of the responsibilities one might have as a virtual assistant include managing calendars and booking appointments, answering emails and calls, booking flights and hotels, conducting research, preparing meetings, writing reports, and more.
To find a job as a virtual assistant, check local and international job postings or reach out directly to companies that you believe may benefit from your services.
Social media manager
A social media manager is a relatively new occupation — but despite its short history, professionals in the field are in rather high demand. The job of a social media manager is to represent a business or individual across different social channels. As a social media manager, you will write posts, answer comments, create marketing campaigns, and more.
You will also be responsible for increasing the reach and conversion of social media accounts. Working as a social media manager does require a certain amount of experience and extensive knowledge of how social media platforms operate and what algorithms they use.
Social media managers are employed by both brands and businesses as well as individual influencers. You may find social media manager vacancies online, on professional platforms like Linkedin, and more. You can also scan the social media accounts of businesses and influencers you know and offer your services directly.
Telemarketer
The job of a telemarketer is probably one of the oldest online professions. A telemarketer or a telesales representative is responsible for calling potential customers via the phone Skype and other platforms and convincing them to make a purchase.
To be a good telemarketer, you will need good communication skills and strong nerves. Cold calling (calling people who have not expressed interest in a product or service) tens and even hundreds of people per day can be quite stressful and requires a specific type of personality.
Designer
Designers create tangible or intangible objects, graphics, processes, games, advertising materials — and more. Unlike some of the jobs, we’ve described above, working as a designer requires a very specific set of technical skills. On the other hand, the last several years have brought about lots of helpful digital tools that make the design process simpler and more automated.
If you don’t have any experience as a designer, the best place to start would be to take a design course and then look for an entry-level position or internship. If you are a designer, finding work online shouldn’t be much of a problem. You look through both existing job postings and create a designer profile on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr.
Video editor
With the growth of video-sharing platforms like YouTube, the job of a video editor has become exceptionally popular. Video editors are generally responsible for editing and gathering raw video material into a presentable finished product that can be published on television or online. The materials that video editors work with include camera footage, sound, special effects, graphics, subtitles and dialogue, and more.
Editing videos requires a good amount of technical knowledge as well as experience using popular video editing software like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, Mojave, and others. If you are up to the task, you can search for video editing vacancies online or reach out to video content creators whose work you believe you can improve.
Online community manager
Community managers are in charge of building and maintaining the audience and public perception of a brand both — online and offline. The job requires building, growing, and managing a business’s community and engaging with a company’s clients via social media, forums, live events, and more. To become a community manager you will definitely need to have good people skills and at least some knowledge of marketing and social media platforms.
To start off your job hunt, check out some of the best job search websites to use in 2022.
Blogger
Blogging has long been a go-to choice for many stay-at-home moms as they share their experiences online. If you love writing, and even taking pictures, and you don’t need the money right now, blogging might be an option for you. You can share your cooking tips, the special recipe that you’ve come up with or your experience in dealing with the kids. Keep in mind that blogging is a long-term investment and it’s going to take a lot of time and effort before you see your first dime.
Textbook Seller
The last but not least, you can make textbook flipping your side hustle and make a decent amount of income from selling college textbooks for profit. You would have to buy college textbooks from recent graduates near your area and sell them online for a higher price. There are many buyback websites where you can compare prices from different vendors, get instant quotes online and sell textbooks instantly!
Tips for working from home as a stay-at-home mom
This list of online work opportunities above is by no means exhaustive. As the market for remote work keeps growing, more and more online vacancies are being created and more and more traditionally in-office jobs are making the transition to online platforms.
To explore career opportunities online and become successful in your new position, there are several quick recommendations that we are happy to share:
- The first thing you will need to have ready when applying for a job online is a resume. A well-written resume will introduce you to your potential employer and give them an idea of your skills and expertise. Here’s how to write a resume.
- In addition to a resume, it’s also a good idea to have a cover letter. A cover letter is basically a professional introduction that aims to “sell” you to the company as the best person for the job. Here’s how to write a cover letter.
- Scan popular job search websites and note what jobs are in demand. If you don’t have any professional experience and are looking to master a new career, it may be best to get into a field that is developing rapidly and where the demand is high. Here’s how to write a resume if you have no experience.
Finally, as you are preparing to start a new job, take some time to explore time management techniques. Working as a mom and being employed by a company (even online or part-time) will put significant pressure on your daily life and will require top-notch organization and stress resistance. Learning about time management tools and techniques can make a substantial difference in how your online career develops.