I was made redundant while I was on maternity leave!

It was a pretty low-blow from my employers but it really was a blessing in disguise. Back then, I was working for a large company who wasn’t well-known for being supportive of parents. I knew that when the time came to go back to work, I would be torn into a million pieces. I was in love with being a new mum but financially we needed the extra cash and I did love my job before my daughter was born. That company was not open to working-from-home, part-time or flexible working conditions and there was no way I wanted to go back full-time work. So when they gave me the news, my ego was slightly bruised but I was overwhelmingly relieved.

Having kids changes everything for most parents. I’ve seen high-flying corporate hotshots shift their career paths so that they can change nappies and do the school run. But being a dedicated mum doesn’t mean that you can’t have a fulfilling role outside the home. It’s just more of a challenge.

We spoke to four mums who are juggling a job and motherhood to find out how being a mum has changed their life and career.

How did your work situation change after you had kids?

Rochelle:
After my first baby, it took roughly seven years for me to be able to take up a work opportunity. This was extremely different to my lifestyle prior to children, as before I became a mother I was working three different jobs.

Natalie:
My situation has changed massively. I was renting an office as a Finance broker with a part-time assistant. Since then I have moved my office home and am a one-man show.

Lisa:
I did not return to work after my 1st or 2nd child. My 2nd child was 2 and a half years when I started working again 1 day a week. The oldest was 6 years old when I re-entered the workforce.

Did your role (before becoming a mum) offer you the flexibility to juggle work and being a mum?

Rochelle:
Unfortunately, none of the roles I held prior to becoming a mother were flexible enough to maintain after becoming a mother as the hours were not suitable.

Natalie:
Being self-employed, I have been able to control how much extra work I take on. This means I have been able to start with one daycare day and work in with my husband’s job. He finishes work at 3pm so he is able to take over baby duties while I work! We juggle things together and work as a team.

What would be your ideal work situation as a mum?

Leonie:
Ideally, working from home would be great. Being able to work around commitments.

Rochelle:
I LOVE being able to work from home, and realistically when it’s done from home I have the flexibility of being able to work a wider range of hours any day of the week which is wonderful.

Natalie:
Ideally, I would like to continue working from home.

What challenges have you come up against as a working mum?

Leonie:
I hated not being there for the kids if they were sick and I couldn’t take time off. I was lucky to have a mum and mum in law that could help out but you always felt the guilt of not being there yourself.

Rochelle:
Balancing work/family time can be tricky, but if you work to a schedule it makes it much easier to get things completed.

Natalie:
It is a constant balancing act. Even though you might be drained from a day with bub, you still have to find time to meet with clients and be there for them. I have struggled with being able to grow my business while tending to family duties.

We Want To Work From Home

The overall consensus was that these mum’s ideal role would be home-based with flexible working conditions. But it’s not always that easy. Mums often spend years out of the job force and then are petrified to return to work after such a long absence. In addition, your career prior to becoming a mum may just not be suited to juggling parental commitments.

We know that we can’t always rely on an employer to give us the flexible conditions we need. So we may just need to create these opportunities for ourselves. And we’ve found a way to do this!

A Flexible Job You’ll Love

We’ve discovered a really great opportunity that you may have never even thought of. It will give you the flexibility you need to work around your kids. Plus you can earn an income without all the stress that comes with an office job.

It starts with the H&R Block Income Tax Course, which will equip you with all the skills you need to successfully prepare tax returns. Plus at the end of the course, there is the opportunity to be employed by H&R Block as a tax consultant.

This is a flexible job that would allow parents to re-enter the workforce, while still caring for school-aged kids. The course will teach you everything you need to know about tax returns, so not only will you be able to help others to complete their returns, you will also have the knowledge and power to do your own taxes.

The course is 16 weeks long with a 3-hour workshop per week and about 10 hours weekly of online self-study. Which means that within four short months, you could be working at a tax consultant under the supervision of any Registered Tax Agent and start earning good money, while still being there for your kids.

We asked our mums what they thought of the H&R Block Income Tax Course and whether they would be keen to enroll:

Lisa:
Yes, absolutely. I enjoy studying, helping others and spending time at home. Anything that can help a mum or dad to possibly re-enter the workforce with minimal cost output would be very beneficial.

Rochelle:
I definitely believe this course would be beneficial to a lot of mothers. I would definitely consider enrolling in this. I think that the number of weeks as well as hours per week for the course are realistic and it would be easy to fit in to a busy schedule.

Natalie:
Yes, this sounds like a great way to earn extra income and add to my current skill set. This sounds like a great way for mums to re-enter the workforce.

The H&R BLOCK INCOME TAX COURSE starts in mid-February and spots are limited so REGISTER NOW to set yourself on a path to a career where you are in control.

Meet Aisha … a Mum who has recently completed the H&R Block Income Tax Course.

She is loving the flexibility working for H&R Block has given her and can’t recommend the H&R Block Income Tax Course highly enough!

Thanks for watching – isn’t it awesome Aisha has found a job with the flexibility that work for her?