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We are moving to NYC soon and I would like to start the job hunt. I have 2 kids and so it is important for me to get a job that has flexible timings or a fixed regular work hours so I can spend some time with them. I am also not concerned about the pay, rather the experience as I would love to continue having a career.
Would NYC government jobs provide the work / life balance i am looking for?
Also, I would also be looking for employers who provide for example child care centers on site or some sort of child care assistance allowance. Do such employers exist in NYC? any examples?
Any suggestions on where to start from in order to look for such jobs?
You are not concerned about pay, yet you looking for an employer to support child care. That's kind of a oxymoron.
Do you have some other means of support, a husband perhaps?
What are your qualifications? What sort of job do you have in mind?
I know of no employer which subsidizes childcare. Women w. Kids have a difficult time in NYC unless they have in_home help. What ages are your children?
Most of the women I've none w. Kids who need care, spend most of their time stressing. They get upnextra early to prepare their kids, then make the run to daycare, then commute to work, do their jobs while stressing to gout in time to pick up their kids---before daycare closes. Depending upon the daycare provider, there's a fee for being late; or, the daycare provider will dump your kid off with the police. If you are lucky, you'll find a provider who is understanding of your work situation.
Additonally, most middle class salaried women pay 1/3 to 1/2 of their weekly salary for daycare. Which makes it debateable whether it is financially worth it to work.
Most employers are not very compensating for the demands of motherhood. Some of the more successful working mothers I know work at night, often the third shift, in order to be there in the morning for their kids, and to be able to be their after school. The husbands work the day jobs, and are their in the evening for the children. Such schedules make it hard on the personal relationship between husband and wife, but it is a sacrafice chosen for the kids.
Those with upper class incomes have in-home help, nanny, housekeeper, whathaveyou. Which makes it much easier to be a working striving mother, but many stress over not spending enough quality time with the kids; and, over the reality that someone else is taking the role of mother for their children.
NYC is not the most friendly place for mothers who must work. It is the origin of the 'latch kid kid'.
Thank you for the response jcoltrane. I wouldl like to work because I would like to continue having a career.
We are a family of four, my husband works and so we do not have financial problems. I obviously don't want to get into the situation were I have to be stressed about leaving work on time to pick up the kids and so forth and that is the reason why I am asking if there are any kind of jobs/companies where working hours are flexible? or maybe jobs that have a 8am - 3pm working hours (government maybe? i am not sure of the formal working hours in givernemnt jobs) that would allow me to then pick up the kids from schools and spend evening time with them.
If you don't have financial problems, then why are you looking for a full time job??? Also, you don't just "get" a government job. You have to take a test, be on the waiting list (sometimes for a couple of years), etc before you'll get a government job.
If you're looking for something with flexible hours, try customer service. There are many call centers with flexible hours. The pay isn't great ($10-$12/hour if you're lucky) but you'll get the flexibility you'll need.
You could work retail. My mom worked at Williams Sonoma and always did morning shifts and was home in time for us to come home.
Absolutely. The best jobs for flexibility would be customer service (call centers) and retail. Office jobs and the like expect you to be there 8-4 or 9-5 and aren't too concerned about when you have to get your kids or if your kids are off from school or home sick or anything else.
Absolutely. The best jobs for flexibility would be customer service (call centers) and retail. Office jobs and the like expect you to be there 8-4 or 9-5 and aren't too concerned about when you have to get your kids or if your kids are off from school or home sick or anything else.
Also with retail it's not too tough to get a day off or call off work in the event that something comes up with your kid. Usually you have a directory of people all dying to get an extra shift.
Thank you for the response jcoltrane. I wouldl like to work because I would like to continue having a career.
We are a family of four, my husband works and so we do not have financial problems. I obviously don't want to get into the situation were I have to be stressed about leaving work on time to pick up the kids and so forth and that is the reason why I am asking if there are any kind of jobs/companies where working hours are flexible? or maybe jobs that have a 8am - 3pm working hours (government maybe? i am not sure of the formal working hours in givernemnt jobs) that would allow me to then pick up the kids from schools and spend evening time with them.
Government would have the same hours as any job, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week.
You still haven't stated your qualifications. What 'career' did you have?? Btw, it seems you are looking for a 'job' not a career. A career requires more than you appear to want to give.
If money isn't the issue, then simply use your salary to pay for childcare. Also, why not do some charity work? Work part time, or for a non-profit. All of which should have the flexibility you seem to want.
I have done exactly that started my own little home based business (Travel Agent). I dont find NYC the city for work/life balance however I am lucky enough to be able to do this. I think New Yorkers are the hardest working people I know and I have a lot of respect for them.
I was lucky enough to have a part time job for years (20-30 hrs/wk in landscape architecture) while my kids were little, but it was still a pretty stressful situation. I was the only one in the entire company who worked part time. There was a lot of resentment from certian co-workers and my supervisor wan't pleased about the situation either. Consequently, I didn't get the level of responsibility/projects that I wanted. I was able to work part-time because I knew the owner of the company through school. In my field I never saw any advertised part-time positions.
I think the work/life balance is really tough in New York. I had the best situation of any of my friends with children, but honestly it was always a struggle. I wasn't very happy there but was afraid I wouldn't find a better situation. Now I work for myself, and I'm way happier. Iif you can start your own business, I'd highly recommend it. I don't recommend totally dropping out of the workforce. I know several people who did and it can be hard to get back in.
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