The world is seeing a new generation of ambitious women who are determined to find that delicate balance between having a fulfilling and rewarding career yet being able to spend enough time and attention on building their families. If you’re a woman who intends exactly that, Jennifer Forest, author of “Work Women Want: Work at Home or Go Part-Time” says unequivocally that you can, and in her book, outlines exactly how to do that.
Depending on a woman’s personal needs and motivations, Forest lays out different recommendations. She helpfully guides the reader in some self reflection, asking seven questions of themselves – such as the amount of time they have on their hands, the skills and mindsets they possess, for example – to ascertain what would suit them most.
With that out of the way, Forest recommends the following possibilities;
1. The Social Butterfly, for the extroverted who enjoy meeting people and planning parties,
2. Creative Entrepreneurs, those who are good with creating things with their hands,
3. Blue Sky Mamas, for professionals such as bookkeeping or graphic design that others may require,
4. Money Players, aimed at those with a small pot of money for freelance stock trading (although many will argue this isn’t exactly a proper career),
5. Blogging Beauty, perfect for those who are great at turning words, pictures and other forms of content into something that others want to read.
Throughout the various chapters in “Work Women Want“, Forest shares her own personal journey to a successful home business and her experiences working part-time for an employer, as well as the candid interviews of 11 other women who have each taken their own path to combining work and children.
It’s just too bad that Forest focuses the options for women around flexible, part-time work or diving into various entrepreneurial type endeavors. It may have sat somewhat better if “Work Women Want” also looked at how women can create and thrive in corporate environments as well. For example, Female doyen and now head of technology company Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, is probably the best known example of how a woman can thrive in both the office and at home. I’m pretty certain many female go-getters would have been interestied to hear from Forest how she thinks women can navigate the complexities of full-time work in a demanding workplace and at the same time manage the household.
But “Work Women Want” is still a good read for women who want the best of both their private and professional worlds; it’s probably most suited for those women who are planning a mid-career change due to an impending life-changing situation such as the coming birth of a baby.
