The Best Jobs for Women Who Want to 'Have it All'

Recently, I came across a cartoon that illustrated a man proposing to his girlfriend.
In the cartoon he tried to sweeten the deal by saying she could have children and blow her career opportunities.

Seriously? Is this still such a dire choice for women to have to make? According to the Vanier Institute of the Family, there are 3.9 million mothers in Canada with children under the age of 18 living with them. On average, women without children earn 12% more, and the more children a woman has the wider this gap becomes.



Many professional services industries provide opportunities to grow ones career, however, many women reach a point where they choose to leave (a.k.a opting out). "One of the elements of opting out is not to necessarily going home," says Martha Fell, CEO of Women in Capital Markets.

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"Many of them will, in fact, choose careers that are perhaps perceived as lateral moves. They have made the choice around how to achieve a work-life compatibility by opting out of the work schedule that they are in now and trying to stream towards a career that offers the same opportunities, safe advancement down the road, but gives them the chance to spend more time at home with their kids and raise their family."

The employment rate for mothers with school-age children was 39% in 1976 and 73% in 2009. One main driver of this shift in societal attitudes is The Great Recession. Layoffs have become such a routine occurrence that some women are having second thoughts about taking a long maternity leave. In certain households, 26% of women are the sole breadwinners.

Fortunately, the numbers of evolved employers who are willing to agree to a flexible working situation, depending on the job scope and level of experience is gradually growing. "Child support is the key; you have to have that figured out," says Viktoriya Gruzytska Executive Director of Corporate Credit Products at CIBC and a mother of three children under the age of five. Make sure you have reliable a daycare, a nanny or a mother's helper you can count on and ruthlessly prioritize.

So, if you're a new mom or mom-to-be looking to bring home the bacon consider these well-paying mommy friendly jobs.


1. Virtual Assistant
Average Annual Salary: $50,000
There are a plethora of opportunities for would-be virtual assistants. Opportunities may range from bookkeeper to executive assistant to graphic designer. The key is to find your area of specialty and to brand yourself as the best. Also beware of scams. To find out if a company is legit check their status on the Better Business Bureau and look out for online reviews by current and past employees on sites like Glassdoor.com.

2. Online Community Manager
Average Annual Salary: $55,000
About five years ago, the role of online community manager was virtually unheard of. Today it's a sought-after job. These roles are either full-time or part-time making it a good option for a working mother. It's an ideal position for those with a marketing and communications background, and, of course, those who are social media savvy.

3. Credit Analyst
Average Annual Salary: $71,000
A credit analyst is responsible for analyzing credit data and financial statements to determine whether or not a candidate is a good or bad credit risk. They also verify income information with a candidate's employer over the phone.

4. Financial Planner
Average Annual Salary: $75,000
A financial planner analyzes a client's financial status, develops a financial plan based on analysis of data, and discusses financial options with client. In order to do well in this industry you should have an aptitude for math and have excellent people skills.

5. Information Technology (IT) Consultant
Average Annual Salary: $72,000
The word 'consultant' could just be a code word for willing to telecommute. As an IT consultant part of your responsibilities could see you setting up a VPN, designing, testing, installing and monitoring new systems.

6. Information Technology (IT) Business Analyst
Average Annual Salary: $60,000
The need for IT business analytics skills is expected to grow within the next 12 months. Unlike other IT jobs, business analysts are directly assigned to business units. They are expected to help the business side navigate multiple types of technology and solve those business challenges. In addition, they are often considered the ideal source of IT expertise within an organization and are typically expected to have strong communication and social skills, an area where most women naturally excel.

7. Software Developer
Average Annual Salary: $100,000
Most software developers are not micro-managed which makes it suitable for an at home office. In this role you'll spend your days researching, designing, and developing software. Plus, as you advance in your career you'll have a lot of free time to do other things, like working on architecture or writing a book. If making a lot of money is important to you then this line of work could provide you with many other payment options beyond a straight salary, such as stock options. If you're not good at math or analytical thinking you should stay away from this career.