Fun alternatives

Did you plod your way through a hectic course, take the trouble to secure a good job and toil hard to earn a fat salary only to end up getting married, having children and staying at home totally unemployed? You now have your kids and home as your priority and perhaps you do not want to get back to your career by taking up a full fledged nine to five job like before. But the thought of doing nothing apart from your homely duties is quite discouraging. You have this urge to do something- anything that will showcase your talent, efforts and earn a good amount of money as well. Your formal education might or might not help you here, but this is the time your buried hobbies and passions should surface. Use your skills to earn money- at your own convenience.

Here are some ways-

  • If you often receive compliments for your dishes, use your cooking skills to open a blog or a YouTube channel and share your yummy recipes with the world and earn through advertisements. If you are not too tech-savvy or if you have no technical support, you can provide lunch boxes for the office going folk yearning for homemade food. To take matters further, you can even plan on opening your own little eatery if you have the resources.
  • Are you the kind of person who enthusiastically stays in shape? If yes, you can either be a yoga instructor, a Zumba trainer or teach any other form of exercise to others. All this is to be done after first getting a proper training yourself, of course. Gather the ladies from the neighborhood and get going.
  • If you are great behind the camera, then being a freelancing photographer is a perfect idea. You can take up a short course on professional photography and make a start. Events like weddings, parties, get-togethers are plenty and you can choose them according to your convenience.
  • Fond of languages? Have a knack for writing? Then go for something like blogging, content writing, translation, proofreading, and editing. If you are imaginative enough, you can even write your own book. Fiction, non-fiction, anything you like!
  • Are you in for creative stuff like designing? If yes, then there are areas ranging from fashion designing and jewelry designing to interior decorator and webpage designing waiting for you.
  • In case you left your singing, dancing or painting skills in the past, revive them. Teach it to the children in your block or upload instructional videos on YouTube teaching the dance steps, how to sing or how to paint a flawless picture.
  • Do you find yourself spending too much time before the mirror experimenting with numerous makeup looks? Don’t worry, you’re not vain, you’re just a potential makeup artist. This profession will enable you to build up your passion in the real world! Then there’s YouTube again. There are females who are amateurs in the field of makeup and need tips. You can share your knowledge about makeup through your videos.
  • If you are an expert on any subject that’s taught in school, then you can be the good old tuition teacher and help the poor kids score better in exams. This sounds a clichéd job, but hey! It’s fun to be around school kids.
  • Are you totally fantabulous on your social media? You could take this skill further by being a social media manager. There are many companies and institutions keen on being regularly active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc. to keep up with the masses. You could do that.
  • If you adore the quadrupeds, pet-sitting is a great option. People having cats, dogs, rabbits etc. find it difficult to make arrangements for their pets while they are out on a trip. You can take care of them in your own house and enjoy their company. Pet grooming is also an alternative. People love pampering their dogs. You can give your furry clients a nice bath, haircut, and massage.

The fact that you can’t or don’t want to pursue your original vocation after your career break should not let you down. Rigid office timings and hectic schedules are not everybody’s cup of tea and there’s nothing humiliating about that. Stuff like creating a YouTube channel, searching for freelancing jobs or gathering people who are interested in learning what you offer to teach is not easy either. You might even need to complete a short course or a diploma depending on the field you choose. Efforts are essential to get it all started and to maintain the tempo. But on the brighter side, you have the opportunity to employ your hobbies and interests as a source of income coupled with convenience and fun.  So, what are you waiting for?

You may also want to read other articles written by the same author:  ‘Fun alternatives for ladies on career break‘,  ‘Bridging the gap using online resources‘, ‘Stress: Lets deal with it‘, ‘No Matter what the world says, It is ok to… live your life‘, ‘A little guide to positivity‘ ‘Ways to Selfmotivation- Your key to success’, ‘Why you need to prioritise yourself

About the author: 

Radhika completed her B.A. and  M.A (Gold medal) in Sanskrit from the Mumbai University. She has a passion for languages especially English, Sanskrit, and German and has written articles on Upanishads. She provides content development services. She likes teaching and writing. Her hobbies include reading and listening to music.

(The author is a guest blogger at Her Second Innings. The opinions expressed are those of the author.)

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