For a better tomorrow, mothers try to go back to school to invest in their dreams. They try to work towards their goals so that they can have a positive impact on their families livelihood. By going back to school, you are not only actualizing your own educational and career goals but also inspiring your own children to believe in the power of a good education, to reach higher and dream bigger. From raising a family to building a career, moms may not have much free time available, but there are a wide array of online and on-campus degree programs designed for working adults and parents. You can even opt for work from home option making it easier to balance your personal responsibilities while also pursuing an education.

A college degree can pay off in the long run and according to research published by the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of Retirement Policy, having a college degree has a substantial impact on an individual’s overall lifetime earnings. Women with bachelor’s degrees can earn on average $630,000 more over their lifetimes than women with only high school education, and Women with graduate degrees earn $1.1 million more over their lifetimes than women with only a high school diploma.

Following are some of the best career options for moms going back to school:

Graphic Designers

Graphic Designing is something anyone can get a good income from as long as they are also good at what they do. Moreover, there are some famous mothers who have done the same in a way that makes their male counterparts sit up and take notice. Furthermore, moms are continuously discovering that entrepreneurship affords them that flexibility in their lives that a standard 9 to 5 routine doesn’t. Designers can work from anywhere and anytime because, over the years, this occupation has gained a lot of respect. Graphic Designers are ardent believers in the art of compassionate design, a discipline that is sought after by businesses today in order to reach out to customers all the better.

This industry can seem intimidating from the outside because many people think of long hours, strict deadlines and harsh feedback. However, the truth is that there is a myriad of benefits that come with being a graphic designer, especially for moms. Mothers can read between the lines, are extra empathetic, have the ability to work from home, are always adaptable, plan for mishaps, are creative problem solvers, do not crack under pressure, know their priorities, and much more, which makes them great graphic designers.

Preschool Teacher

Preschool Teachers introduces children to school and formal education in different institutions. These experiences that small children have in this first academic endeavour can set the stage for the rest of their school career. Moreover, preschool teachers play a major role in the smooth introduction and transition of education among children. They work with children between the ages of three and five just before they enter kindergarten. Preschool teachers teach their students a variety of skills, including motor, language, social, and basic academics. Mothers are already used to children as they have taken care of their own for years, and they can bond well with their students. Teaching preschool does require a degree and certain certifications. Furthermore, this provides several benefits for moms like better schedule, deeper understanding, a stronger bond, wider impact, and much more.

Realtor

Realtors have the freedom to set their own hours and earn a living by selling ideas about homemaking. Any position in real estate is a tempting job option for moms, but establishing a full-time career as a realtor requires the same effort as any industry: starting from the proverbial bottom by putting in gruelling hours and painstakingly working your way up to success. Realtors work off commission, and the money they earn is largely determined by their transaction volume. In a way, the skills needed to raise children and sell property appear largely the same. Also, it involves a lot of multitasking, putting others first and being reachable at all hours of the day and night. Moms are already used to juggling phone calls, handling offspring, bags dangling from the shoulders and the family dog’s leash in hand while walking down a crowded avenue. Real estate careers have a flexible schedule, predictable cycles, being in charge of their own work schedule, work from any location, networking opportunities, social activities, getting involved with communities, unlimited earning potential, etc.

Web Developer

In simple words, Web Developers design and create websites. Usually, their work environment involves working in the computer systems design and related services industry. There are many others who are self-employed and work as freelancers/on temporary contracts. Mostly, Web Developers have a high demand in industries like publishing, management consulting, and advertising. Educational requirements differ according to what type of web developer you want to be in future. General requirements range from a high school diploma to a bachelor’s degree. Web developers need knowledge of both graphic design and programming. They could receive the median annual wage of $73,760 depending on skills and experiences. Overall, the employment of web developers is expected to grow every year and much faster than the average for all occupations. There is always demand for this position because of the growing popularity of eCommerce and mobile devices. Web developers design, create, manage, and oversee websites. They also take care of websites’ technical aspects like capacity and performance, which are measures of how much traffic the site can handle and a website’s speed. In addition, web developers could also create content for the site they created.

Medical Administrative Assistant

Medical Administrative Assistants are the ones that you first interact with when you visit a doctor’s office or clinic. They are friendly people who greet you and check you in for your appointment. Moreover, checking patients is not what this job is all about. The medical Administrative Assistant is also responsible for many other tasks that help keep the medical office running smoothly. Furthermore, this role is so important that the employment of medical administrative assistants is projected to grow much faster than average in the coming years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This is an ideal position for those looking to get into the healthcare field with a relatively short educational path. Medical administrative assistants are also known as medical secretaries, and they perform administrative functions for a hospital or clinic using their knowledge of medical terminology and applications. They can even work in different types of locations with common job titles like unit secretary, medical office assistant, patient coordinator or admissions coordinator.

Fitness Trainer

Becoming a fitness trainer can be a good option if you have taken some time out from your original job to raise children and are thinking about starting to work again. There are many good reasons to consider training to do something new, rather than returning to what you did before. After the maternity leave, new moms’ interests changes, or they lose touch with things in their old industries and feel like there would be a lot to get used to if they went back to the same place. They would probably need a new job that fits better around their home life or involves shorter hours and less stress. Sometimes being passionate about fitness is something you have always liked. If yes, then becoming a fitness trainer can be a great option for you. The career path to becoming a personal trainer or fitness instructor can be interesting for someone who enjoys health and fitness in general.

Counselling

There is probably no one immune to the stressors and problems of day-to-day life. Sometimes people can resolve things on their own, but other times their issues may be too complex or overwhelming to manage on their own. It is common to need help to find a solution or just to cope with what is going on, and that is where professional counsellors shine the most. Moreover, as a counsellor, you can work with anyone of any ages and gaining a counselling degree can open up a number of career paths for those interested in helping others. Furthermore, depending on an individual’s preferences, graduates might consider mental health counselling, vocational and career counselling, substance abuse counselling, rehabilitation counselling, or marriage and family counselling. Some of the different specialities are General Counsellor, Social Work Counsellor, Child Counsellor, School Counsellor, Sports Counsellors, Clinical Counsellors, etc.

Market Research Analyst

Market Research Analysts is another good career for moms going back to school. This job requires you to help companies figure out what to sell, to whom to market their products and services, and how to promote them. These analysts design surveys that discover potential customers’ preferences to help various organizations make important decisions. Market Research Analysts are marketing professionals that can even train and supervise interviewers who conduct the surveys online, by telephone, or through in-person interviews with individuals or focus groups. Market research analysts used to earn a median annual salary of $63,230 in 2017. But, this amount varies according to the demand, type of industry, location, and many other parameters. The best part about this job is it can be done full-time, part-time, freelance, or contract. The job outlook for this occupation is excellent as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that employment would grow much faster than the average for all occupations between 2016 and 2026, and thus classifies it as a “Bright Outlook Occupation.”

 Accountant

Accountants are popular job positions among different individuals with a variety of needs, and if you are a working mother, a career in accounting might be right for you. Many accounting jobs have features that working mothers value like flexible schedules, options to work from home, decent compensation and the opportunity for career growth. As an accounting professional, you can work in a number of settings, such as an in-house accountant for small, medium and large companies, as well as positions at accounting firms and bookkeeping firms. Many accountants even work for themselves as independent contractors. Such a wide range of work environments increases your chances of finding a job with flexible hours and the opportunity to work at home. Being an accountant can be beneficial to work mothers, especially those with small children who can’t care for themselves. Accounting has different categories like Accounting Clerks, Bookkeepers, Spectator Sports Accountant, Information Technology Accountant, Personal Financial Advisor, Forensic Accountant, etc.

Project Manager

Being a project manager requires attention to detail, organization, and follow-through skills. This job position can be a great career avenue for highly organized people capable of multitasking and leading others who often thrive in project management careers. As the name implies, a project manager must oversee specific projects assigned to him/her by an employer. However, the personalities that these professionals work with will depend on the field. Regardless of who hires them, the project managers can act as liaisons and central sources of information to ensure the tasks get done correctly, on time and within budget. Project management jobs exist in a wealth of different industries, and some of the common ones are Construction (Median annual salary: $93,370), Energy (Average annual salary: $70,031), Engineering (Average annual salary: $94,440), Software Development (Average annual salary: $86,372), Information Technology (IT) (Median annual salary: $142,530), Healthcare (Average annual salary: $75,474), Pharmaceutical (Average annual salary: $89,453), Marketing (Average annual salary: $59,916), and Consulting (Salaries vary by the nature and duration of projects).