From Cuddles to Code: How Young Moms Can Master New Skills and Boost TheirCareers (Without Leaving the Nursery)

martinagvisionfact
Sep 11
4 min read

Author: Magdalena Simova

If a woman decides to become a mother, she may discover during maternity leave that she has fallen into the "mom guilt" trap.

She enjoys motherhood every day, but still feels fear about her professional future.

Mothers need to realize that upskilling is not a chore, but a path to a more fulfilling future.

It is completely normal for mothers to want to learn skills that will help them in boost careers.

Learning a few hours every day achieves much more than doing nothing.

Woman working on laptop in kitchen while two kids eat at table. Grey and white kitchen with a calm atmosphere.

Why Bother to Upskill Now?

Being a full - time mum is completely normal, but as children grow up, they no longer need all of your time.

That´s a great opportunity for mental stimulation.

Thanks to activities like learning new languages or computer skills, you don´t feel lonely and your days aren´t monotous.

On the other hand you can contribute to the family income and build up your own financial security.

You should realize that by finally deciding to learn something new, your value increases after a career break.

You can offer new skills to your employement. You may be able to a salary range or even be offered a new position at your previous job.

You will feel better with your new skills, and maybe you will be the one to choose a new position.

Learning new skills has a lot of advantages.

For example, you can show your child the value of lifelong learning, experience personal and mental growth, increase your income and open up many opportunities in your life.

On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages.

When you start, you will have less free time.

High-Impact Skills Perfect for Moms

Focus on skills that are in high demand, flexible, and often self-taught.

Which skills should you focus?

Digital Marketing – covers a wide range of areas such as SEO, social media, web analytics, content marketing, PPC, e-mail marketing and more. This area has a huge advantage, as you can work as a freeelancer or a digital nomad. You can work from an office or from home. It covers a wide range of fields. You just need to choose.

Web Development & Coding – If you are interested in numbers and coding, you can try programming. You don´t need a degree to get stared. One thing you do need is passion. Platforms like freeCodeCamp or Coursera offer many courses from beginner to advanced levels. If you see yourself as a web devloper, you can start with WordPress. A cheap and easy platform for creating websites.

Graphic Design – Do you like painting or creating pictures and videos? Then focus on grafic design. Canva, which is very user-friendly, is great for projects even if you´re not a professional. But if you want to create on a professional level, go for the Adobe.

Project Management & Administration - Moms are great at organizing their day and excel in time managment, multitasking and organization. These skillss can be very useful in team leadership and managment. To take it to next level with Google's Project Management certification.

Copywriting/Content Writing – If you enjoy reading and writing, copywriting is deal for you. You can do it anytime and from anywhere. All you need is a computer and a topic. You can create your own blog or contribute to newspapers. It´s entirely up to you.

Tiles spell "STRATEGY" on a white surface, with a King and Queen of spades partially visible, suggesting a strategy theme.

Practical Strategies for Busy Mums

If you want to achieve something, you should plan and create a study schedule.

Realize that you don´t have much time, so use all the gaps in your day as a mom.

Embrace the "Nuggets" of Time – When your child goes to sleep, you can use that time to work or study. Never mind that they sleep only 30 minutes to 2 hours. Every second counts. Or, when your child is playing with toys, you can take that time for yourself.

Leverage Free and Low-Cost Resources – You don´t have to pay a lot of money for courses. Once you start browsing the internet, you´ll find many options. Like Cousera, edX or YouTube channels. They offer a wide range of courses, from marketing and finance to language leraning. There´s something for everyone.

Structure Your Learning – Stay motivated. That´s why you´re creating a learning plan with small, achievable goals. For example: Every day, I will study for 30 minutes, complete one small project in my area of interest, or learn 20 new words in a foreign language. Create a schedule table and stick it somewhere you´ll see it every day, like on the bridge or in your room.

Build Your Portfolio – It´s best to showcase you new skills in your own portfolio. Every new project you create should be documented. You can share your certificates and projets links on your LinkedIn profile to show you´ve completed and learned.

Find Your Community: - Your best support is your family. Tell them that you´ve started learning new skills. They will ask you how your progress is going and support you along the way. Also, try to find some Facebook communities where you can share your knowledge or your concerns.

You Are More Than "Just a Mom"

You are a mom, but you have to realize, that´s not everything. If you want to be happy and growt both personally and professionally, you need to understand that working on yourself is essential.