WAHM - what do you do??

amother

Tue, Nov 17 2009, 3:31 pm

People are welcome to use "amother" - I am just looking for ideas and options. I am currently working as an actuary, so working from home is not really an option (on a regular basis. I am able to work from home when a kid is sick etc once in a while). I have a computer science degree but didn't work in that field for one day.

What do you do? I would like to hear how people earn enough to support a family (my husband is in kollel) while working from home.

Thanks!!!

chocolate moose

Tue, Nov 17 2009, 3:39 pm

I worked as a secretary by day and did extra typing at night - mostly transcribing from tapes.

Tova

Tue, Nov 17 2009, 3:40 pm

Why can't you work as an actuary at home? Do you mean because one doesn't really provide those services from a home-based business? Can you work for a large firm but do part of the day from home? That's what I do...I am a CPA.

amother

Tue, Nov 17 2009, 4:00 pm

Tova wrote:

Nobody in my company works from home on a kavua basis, and nobody does part time (one frum girl worked part time for a couple of months but was told that it would basically kill her "carrier". she ended up finding another job closer to home and switching). And with this economy I am grateful to HKB"H to just have a job and I dont want to compromise it by asking my supervisors to do something that's "not done'. I am expecting our 3rd child (nobody knows yet, but I won't be able to keep it a secret much longer) and a FULL day at work plus almost an hour commute each way is just very hard (I am out of the house 8-6). I can't imagine what I will do after this baby will be"H be born.

Did you right away have this set up when you were hired or did you transition once you had kids?

shosh

Tue, Nov 17 2009, 4:44 pm

I don't know if my experience would really help you, but nonetheless ...

I worked in various offices right up till the day my oldest dd was born, nearly 16 years ago. I used to work for a large pharmaceuticals company as an assistant librarian. The hours were crazy -7:30-5:00. They provided free, door-to-door transportation, which cut out a huge hassle, but there was no way that I was going to work like that once the baby was born. In the meantime, Hashem sent translating our way - originally to Adolf. Someone suggested to him that he should take it up to support us while I stayed home with the baby. But guess what? Adolf couldn't type. So I'd come waddling home after a long day at the office and would sit down a few hours and type for Adolf. As Adolf had no sitz fleish, I started doing the translating as well as the typing - and bingo! My career as a translator and eventually a writer was born!

How do I manage to support my family singlehandedly? Well once again, kudos to the One Above, bc I don't know how I do it either!!!! I work in the mornings when the kids are at school. Theoretically that means I should be free from about 8:30-2:00, but as I usually end up having a big fight to get ds out the door to school (or not ...), I have a bit less time. When the kids go to bed, I start again on the computer and often stay up till midnight working and then another hour or so just "chilling" on here or reading the BBC news to unwind. As my kids get older, and with no father in the home to keep order, night work becomes almost impossible these days, with constant interruptions and messing around. But in my situation I have little choice and do it anyway ...

There are also afternoons when I have to get on the computer even when the kids are around if it's an urgent project. The kids are used to it - this is how they've grown up. Mummy is always tied to the computer. And then there are the all-nighters. I try to avoid them if I can, but sometimes ...

It's not easy being a sole breadwinner and doing it from home. The upside of it is that I fix my own hours and know when I can allow myself to take a day's leave or when it's impossible. As a single parent, this is crucial as there are so many issues, meetings, crises, etc, that come up. I also pay no travel costs or babysitting, which is also a huge plus. On days when ds is bothering me, I've thought of going out to work (one of my main clients told me I can use a computer in his office whenever I need) but I haven't done so till now bc travel time also cuts down the hours I have available to work.

The downside is that housework is often neglected bc I put all my available time into my work, and when the kids are here I try to give them attention and do homework etc with them. As I have night jobs as well as day jobs, I am very tied to the computer. I am much more involved with my work than I ever was before, and I often wonder if I could be as tied to the computer if I were still married. The fact that I work so hard rules out too much of a social life - even when I have time on my hands I'm too tired to do much with it and all I want to do is space out or sleep.

I think in your case, you have to work out whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The fact that you can be at home with your baby is a big plus, as is the fact that you don't have the big commute. But don't think that working from home is so easy either. You also have to ask yourself if you have the self-discipline to do it. There are times when I look at the piles of washing and clutter and am itching to do something with it, but know that I can't bc I have another chapter to finish instead ...

Mrs.K

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 3:17 am

My husband is in Kollel too, but I'm in Israel so I'm not sure how applicable this is at all.

I work in the insurance industry, for the same company that several people on this site do. Starting out in the company was hard, but now, 2 1/2 years later, I love my position, the pay is perfect for our needs right now, my kids can stay home with me, it's wonderful. It's full time work, American hours, and I work some mornings and Fridays as well, to earn overtime.

In the mornings I cook for a (very) small Yeshiva. It doesn't pay much and it's kinda nerdy, but I enjoy cooking, and the entire salary gets locked into savings (which I can only do because of my main job). I cook in my home and walk the food over down the block.

e1234

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 6:38 am

I work as a web programmer from home but I have my own business.

I did work in an office for a few years

Tova

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 7:51 am

OP, I set up the arrangement 2.5 years ago after coming back to work from maternity leave with my first baby. But I should mention that at that point I had 6 years of experience with my company. I was definately not hired with this flex arrangement (and probrably would not have been).

TwinsMommy

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 9:25 am

I'm in sales. Though I make a full time income (because of the work I've done in the past) I'm currently working VERY part time because my kids are small. I work during their naptime, after they go to bed, and when they're at their programs (they both go a few hours a week to early intervention and pre-preschool programs). I also have a sitter on Monday mornings who plays with them downstairs while I work upstairs.

nicole81

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 9:38 am

I worked from home for a couple of years doing customer service and updating online databases. basically I worked for the company for a while and gained their trust. I was about to have my second kid in 14 months so I came up with a foolproof plan to work from home and pitched it to my manager and then the owner. b"h it worked and I kept with that job until I finished my degree and moved into the professional arena.

amother

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 9:41 am

Mrs.K wrote:

Is this company American? Does everybody work from home, or just certain people in E"Y? Are they hiring more people?

greenfire

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 9:55 am

amother wrote:

imho - spelling mistakes would kill a career sooner than asking to work from home ... Idea

amother

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 9:58 am

I'm a freelance writer. I write online material, get paid up front for all of it, and get risiduals for some.

Working from home takes a lot of self-discipline! And you're always feeling guilty...guilty that you didn't get enough hours of work in because you were cooking for Shabbos, guilty working while your kids are around instead of playing with them, guilty playing with your kids instead of working, guilty that you're not doing housework well enough because you felt guilty about not working in the first place...

But at the end of the day, I'm able to be here with my child. I love it, and wouldn't go back to FT work.

amother

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 10:02 am

greenfire wrote:

amother wrote:

imho - spelling mistakes would kill a career sooner than asking to work from home ... Idea

um, okay.

I am not asking people on this board to hire me. When I send emails at work, I always spell check them. But thanks anyway for the helpful reply.

sky

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 11:40 am

I work in software engineering from home.

If you can find a job that would let you work from home would you be able to just take a course or 2 to upgrade your computer programming skills and include that on a resume?

amother

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 12:08 pm

sky wrote:

Do you really think a company would be willing to hire someone who graduated college 6 years ago but never for one day worked in that field? From my experience, I feel like companies care more about hands-on experience than degrees. Of course training is important, but I thought experience was at least as important. I could be wrong though...

Those of you that switched from working in the office to working from home or PT, how did you present it to your boss(es)? Did you explain that it's hard to manage etc, and got all personal, or did you just say you would like to change your set up, or something else? People here know I have 2 little children, and they see that I work from home when they are sick etc.

And thank you everybody for your responses so far. Please keep them coming.

sky

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 12:45 pm

I was working in my office for 1 1/2 years before I started working from home. I started after my first was born. I brought it up as a temperary situation. When they gave me an ultimatum that I had to return to work about 6 months later I told them that I couldn't. I've now been working from home 3 1/2 years and they haven't brought it up again.

By me I think they see I'm serious about my work, I get it done correctly, so they allow me to work from home. I've also become important to them (I hope) so it would be harder for them to loose me (small company and I'm very familiar with the product and customer history).

I would definetly see if you can start as a temporary situation in the beginning after your baby is born.

I just want to warn you that it is hard working from home. You do loose the commute time, and lunch hours which cuts down on your hours, but you still have to deal with house issues that come up.

It is true with computers that experience is important, but if you have time to rebuild up your skill taking some courses it is possible that you can get work. You are right that a degree from 6 years won't hold too much weight, but the fact that you have a math background may help in many fields.

amother

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 12:53 pm

sky wrote:

I have been working with the same company ever since I graduated – so over 6 years. But it’s a huge (international) company and *nobody* here is irreplaceable, if ykwim. So if they were to give me an ultimatum, I wouldn’t really have a choice. I think I am a good worker and I am pretty sure the management is happy with me but that does not at all mean they would be willing to jump through hoops to accommodate my growing family. After my second was born I asked them to change my hours to 8-3 and the best they could do was let me work 8-4. And like I said, with this economy, I would be scared to rock the boat. But I guess I can carefully ask (not tell them this is what I want to do, but ask if it would be possible) and see what they say. Doing it as a temp thing at least the first few months might be another option.

What other fields do you think would be shayach with my “math background”?

e1234

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 12:53 pm

with programming experience is defiantly something important
I would also say it's harder for a beginner to work at home as in the beginning it's especially helpful to have a coworker be able to look at what your doing wrong when you get stuck.
that's one of the disadvantages of working at home that you don't have this.

Mrs.K

Wed, Nov 18 2009, 1:00 pm

amother wrote:

Mrs.K wrote:

Is this company American? Does everybody work from home, or just certain people in E"Y? Are they hiring more people?

Feel free to PM me if you would like the information.