Why do you work? Is it to achieve a sense of accomplishment? Perhaps you simply work for a paycheck. Of course, most people work out of necessity to provide for themselves and for their families. Just about anyone who works to provide for his or her family will face the issue of work-family life balance. This is usually easier said than done. While some jobs pay very well, they don’t always allow for much free time to enjoy life with your family. On the other hand, some jobs offer great flexibility but don’t pay well enough to completely provide for a family. This appears to be a growing problem in our country, as more and more households consist of two working parents that have little time for their children.
Choosing Between Work and Family
In fact, according to the results of a recent survey by FlexJobs, almost all parents (96 percent) report that having a full-time job creates conflicts with their important parental duties. About two-thirds reported frequent conflicts. Furthermore, 97 percent of the survey participants reported that if they had more flexibility at work, they would be able to be better parents. Of course, when many people start out on their career path, having and taking care of a family is the furthest thing from their minds, but the fact is many of those early career decisions set the pattern for your work-family life balance down the road.
More Flexibility Being Offered
The good news is that as more and more professionals are clamoring for increased flexibility in the workplace, more industries and companies are starting to listen. Of course, some professions lend themselves to being more flexible, while others can be more stringent. For example, jobs in creative and knowledge-based fields usually offer more flexibility, while industries that require billable hours and a consistent physical presence are usually less flexible. That being said, however, some of the more traditional career fields that are typically time-sensitive are starting to offer more flexibility, such as work-from-home and part-time options, as well as flex scheduling options.
Top Flexible Careers
What are the best positions if you want to find the right work-family life balance? According to FlexJobs, the following jobs will likely be the best family-friendly careers over the next 10 years or so.
• Account Managers
• Software Developer
• Part-Time Executive
• Project Manager
• Business Analyst
• Speech Pathologist
• Nurse Health Advisor or Health Coach
• Online Tax Advisor
• Curriculum Developer
• Online Adjunct Faculty
Flexibility Not Just for Working Moms
Meanwhile, it turns out that it’s not just working mothers who are looking for increased flexibility in the workplace. According to FlexJobs, working fathers are also interested in having more free time and finding the right balance between their career responsibilities and their parenting responsibilities. In addition, military spouses who must move frequently, as well as older workers who don’t want to get stuck in the so-called “corporate grind,” but still want to work, are also interested in increased flexibility at work. With so many workers seeking greater flexibility, more and more companies are likely to start seeing the benefits of a flexible work schedule and offering more opportunities to create a better work-family-life balance.
The post The Best Jobs for Work-Life Balance first appeared on Advisors to the Ultra-Affluent – Groco.
