12+ Jobs you can actually fit into school hours

Jobs that fit into school hours

Are you looking for one of those seemingly elusive jobs that fit into school hours?

It might be time for some creative thinking … and possibly some re-training.

The best jobs are those that create a good income, allow you to be the best single mum you can be AND give you a sense of satisfaction i.e. you enjoy it!

Here is our list of jobs to consider while the kiddies are at school.

JOBS THAT FIT INTO SCHOOL HOURS THAT ARE GREAT FOR SINGLE MUMS

UBER DRIVER

This has to come first as I speak from personal experience when say that Uber saved me when I was searching for jobs that fit into school hours. All you need is a smart phone, a driver’s license and a car which is a 2001 model or newer, that has 4-doors, and seats four or more passengers, excluding the driver.

Your car will need to pass an approved Uber inspection. So give it a good clean to remove old McDonalds wrappers and half the beach.

Plus, you’ll have to pass a simple medical. Uber makes it super easy to sign-up and you can be on the road and earning money within a few days. You get paid weekly and can see how much you earn as you go, which is a great incentive to keep driving.

Uber driving can be done along-side your current job, or any of the jobs listed below as you can do as little or as much as you like.

WHAT CAN I EARN UBER DRIVING?

On average Uber drivers make about $25 per hour, depending on the day and times that you drive and whether you need to wait around between trips.

CONTRACT BOOK KEEPER

If you are a whizz with numbers and are soothed by spreadsheets, booking-keeping can be a great job during school hours.

Finding contract book-keeping work allows you to work for people across the world. You will need a Certificate IV or higher in Bookkeeping as well as training in GST and BAS Agent Registration. Plus, you’ll need access to a popular bookkeeping program which your potential clients will have heard of. Try Xero or Quickbooks.

Once you are ready to start work head online to Fiverr and/or People Per Hour to register and bid for new work. Completing an accountancy course online is a great way to kickstart your new career in numbers.

WHAT CAN I EARN AS A CONTRACT BOOK-KEEPER?

Payment for contract book-keeping work will depend on exactly what duties you are doing for your clients, but expect around $28 per hour for basic book-keeping.

FITNESS INSTRUCTOR

The perfect way to earn money, work around your kids AND keep fit is to become a fitness trainer. It will open opportunities for work during school hours and even the possibility of starting your own business.

You’ll need to get qualified (if you’re not already) by studying a Certificate III/IV in Fitness as well as gaining work experience as a fitness trainer through a vocational placement. Then you are quite literally off and running.

According to Seek ‘the demand for fitness instructors is expected to grow between now and 2022 so there has never been a better time to become one.’

WHAT CAN I EARN AS A FITNESS INSTRUCTOR?

The average wage for an employed fitness instructor is $25 per hour, however if you have your own business or teach aerobic classes this can be significantly increased.

VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

If you have office experience, especially in business admin or PA work, then use your skills from the comfort of your home as a virtual assistant (VA). Businesses, big and small, are recognising the value of good VA’s so now is the perfect time to dust down your keyboard and show your worth.

You can work as a VA for several people at the same time, and they can be based anywhere in the world. Start your search on freelance websites such as Fiverr, Upwork and Freelancer. And if you need to polish-up old skills or learn a few new ones, it’s easy and cheap to train online with courses from Udemy.

Becoming a VA is one of the most popular options for mums looking for jobs that fit into school hours.

WHAT CAN I EARN AS VIRTUAL ASSISTANT?

For casual work as a VA you can earn between $35 to $55 per hour. 

TEACHER, TEACHING ASSISTANT OR SCHOOL OFFICE WORKER

Anything that you can do at school is perfect for single mums. Of course, these jobs are like gold-dust, especially as you get the huge bonus of the school holidays, sometimes paid!

Think about how your skills can fit into a local school if you were to become a teacher. You may not have the time or the inclination to train as a teacher, but in less time, you can be a fully-fledged teaching assistant, or use your past administration or marketing skills to offer your services at the school office. Or, if you are food and beverage inclined, there’s the school tuck shop.

A good way to get your foot in the door is to volunteer at your child’s school. You can show them how wonderful you are and mention that you are looking for jobs that fit into school hours. You never know what might come your way.

According to TSA, being an online tutor is actually one of the best work from home jobs. You have the best of both worlds with flexibility and the fulfilment of working with students. 

WHAT CAN I EARN WORKING A SCHOOL?

Full time teachers earn between $60K-$86k per year, depending on state. A teacher assistant earns around $24 per hour or $38K per year. A school secretary earns an average of $57K per year.

SELL STUFF ONLINE

If you’re clever and arty, one the most enjoyable jobs is to make stuff and sell it.

This is easier than you may think with the wonderful Etsy which allows you to bypass creating a website and and just SELL. Don’t worry if, like me, you don’t have an artsy bone in your body. You could buy wholesale items and sell them individually at a profit on Gumtree, ebay or again, Etsy.

Selling online offers a huge amount of work-hour flexibility, and like all selling-work, the opportunity to grow as you better understand your market.

WHAT CAN I EARN SELLING ONLINE?

This is entirely down to what you sell, your cost of sales and how much you sell.

MORE SCHOOL HOURS JOB IDEAS

HAIRDRESSING, EYEBROW TECHNICIAN, SPRAY TANNER

A job in the beauty industry offers flexible hours with the right employer, or the opportunity to set-up your own business from home. Depending on what interests, qualifications and equipment you already have, it might be as simple as getting an ABN and off you go. I

If you need training, there are heaps of beauty schools online that will get you the certificates you need. And equipment may be cheaper than you think. Look for second-hand items on ebay, or Amazon for the well-priced new gear.

WHAT CAN I EARN IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY?

If you work for someone as a beauty therapist you can expect an average of $25 per hour, depending on your experience. Working for yourself would be more lucrative with earnings around $50 an hour taking into account equipment and cost of sales. A basic wage for a hairdresser is around $18 per hour, but as a senior stylist you can expect $55 per year, and more if you are self-employed.

TRANSCRIPTIONIST

If you’re a bit handy on the keyword, then becoming a transcriptionist could be the ideal career choice for you. It involves listening to live or recorded audio files and typing the words into document form.

Usually transcriptionists work for legal, police or medical services, meaning professionalism, accuracy and discretion are all important.

WHAT CAN I EARN AS A TRANSCRIPTIONIST?

You can earn around $25 to $55 an hour as an at home transcriptionist.

CHEF, WAITRESS, CAFÉ SUPERVISOR

If hospitality is more your thing, or you’re just desperate to get out of the house and converse with adults, then why not work in a café or daytime restaurant or bar? With every third shop in the high street being an eatery of some kind, there’s plenty of choice out there.

Securing a job as a waitress can be done with a bubbly personality, good grooming and a willingness to work. Oh, and a barista licence can help. Such jobs can easily lead to supervisor positions which have additional responsibilities and pay more. If you have experience as a chef or kitchen-hand, you can show your full range of abilities to a café owner making yourself even more employable.

Make sure any potential employer knows your situation and that you are only available for lunch service most days .. perhaps some evenings when the kids are with dad?

WHAT CAN I EARN AS A CAFE EMPLOYEE?

As a waitress you will earn around $23-$25 per hour, but if you land a permanent job as a supervisor this can increase to $49K per year. The average pay for a kitchen chef is $23 per hour, which increases with further skills. Hospitality workers often receive tips and bonuses for holiday work.

FREELANCE WRITER

If you’ve had a career as a writer or just enjoyed essay writing at school, there’s plenty of opportunity for writers in today’s content hungry world.

Look online at websites such as iWriter where you’ll find callouts for every type of thesis writer – website content, blogging, academic and everything in-between. Topics are hugely varied so if you have an expertise you can write about that and even charge a premium. All jobs posted have deadlines which you can work to within school hours or when the kids are in bed.

If your writing skills are a little dusty, run your work through Grammarly to check for spelling or grammatical errors.

WHAT CAN I EARN WRITING ONLINE?

Depending on who you write for, what you write about and your writing speed, writers generally earn between $25 – $100 per hour.

OUR FINAL IDEAS FOR JOBS THAT FIT INTO SCHOOL HOURS

CHILDCARE WORKER

Working with younger children in a kindergarten or childcare centre is a sensible choice when you’re looking for jobs that fit into school hours.

If you don’t already have the necessary qualifications, you will need to complete a Certificate III in Early Childhood and Care and/or Children’s Services. To become a manager or co-ordinator, which would pay better, you will need to take a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. These qualifications can be completed partially from home, with vocational placements, which may even lead to a permanent placement.

WHAT CAN I EARN AS A CHILDCARE WORKER?

The average wage for a childcare worker is $23 per hour. And the average salary of a childcare centre manager is $66K per year.

FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER

If you were a graphic designer in a past life and you’d like to re-awaken your career using your design skills, then finding graphic design work has never been easier.

To provide professional files in correct formats, you will likely need Photoshop. But lots of graphic designers now work from software like Canva or Easil, which both have free versions.

Next to create a great profile on a few freelancer websites such as Upwork and Fiverr. Make sure you include a small portfolio of your work and take time to price yourself nicely into the market, without devaluing the quality of your work.

WHAT CAN I EARN AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER?

This is very much dependent on where you price yourself in the market, but the average wage is generally between $35 to $55 per hour.

(All earning rates taken from Payscale at time of writing.)

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Beanstalk Single Mum Team

About the author

Beanstalk is run by a team of single mums who share their expertise about single motherhood to help other women on a similar journey to them. This article was written from experience and with love to help single mothers in Australia and across the world.

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