From new college graduates to seasoned professionals, people today are increasingly seeking careers that offer some flexibility and allow them to create the lifestyle they want. Long commutes and confining cubicles are out; convenience, work-life balance and more time with family are in.
For many people, the way to achieve a meaningful, flexible career is through telecommuting. Working at home in on the rise in the United States, with a 35% increase from 2000 – 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
As of 2010, about 13.4 million people worked at least one day a week at home. Most were in the private sector, and one in four worked in management, business and financial occupations. The job tasks associated with these jobs translate well to at-home work.
Finance-related Careers with Flexibility
Forbes recently teamed with Payscale.com to compile a list of high-paying, flexible careers. Several are in the financial industry, including the following:
Actuary: Actuaries report that their job schedules are very flexible. In fact, a whopping 93% of actuaries polled by Payscale.com said they have a flexible schedule.
Actuaries often work for insurance companies, or with professional or scientific service providers. Many are consultants, who set their own work hours. Their job duties include using math, statistics and financial theory to analyze the financial costs of risk to businesses. They also help their clients minimize risk by creating strong insurance policies, investment plans, pension plans and other financial strategies.
The actuary profession, which has a promising jobs outlook, requires at least a bachelor’s degree.
Management Consultant/Management Analyst: Another flexible finance-related career is management consultant, also called management analyst. Professionals in this field work with organizations to improve their efficiency.
According to Payscale.com, 16% of them telecommute. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that about 21% of management analysts in 2012 were self-employed, so they have the freedoms to decide how much and when they want to work.
Some of the typical job tasks performed by management consultants/analysts are gathering data, analyzing financials and operations, and solving business problems. They also make presentations to management, recommend organizational changes, and develop new policies and procedures.
Becoming a management consultant begins with earning a bachelor’s degree and gaining work experience in specialty areas such as human resources, management or information technology.
Senior IT Project Manager: Senior IT project managers can often work from home, thanks to improvements in network speeds. According to Payscale.com, about 26% of them do. Entry-level positions in this field require at least a bachelor’s degree.
With advanced training and experience, moving up to a senior position is possible. At the IT management level, typical job duties include analyzing an organization’s needs and recommending upgrades; ensuring network security; and strategizing short- and long-term systems needs. They also help businesses determine their requirements for IT systems and direct activities of the IT staff.
Finance-related Careers with Flexibility
If you’re looking for a career where you can enjoy the flexibility of telecommuting, setting your own hours or choosing your own clients, you may want to look into these three rewarding occupations in the finance industry. Whether becoming an actuary, senior IT project manager or management consultant/analyst is a good match for your skills and interests, do your homework and learn what it takes to make it happen.
