Working Mums in the UK
Working Mums in the UK

I recently responded to a young woman’s thread on another site regarding what it takes to enter the world of freelance writing. The questions she asked were probing — which is good — and something that everyone should do if exploring whether to jump into this dynamic field.

Without going through all the 5 questions again, these were some of my responses to her:

When asked about hours worked per week, I told her I average between 55-70 hours.

When asked the type of work that I am doing now, I responded that I was updating someone’s web site. Nope, I do have other jobs to do besides writing…I have to pay the bills, right?

When asked what I like best about freelancing, I mentioned not having a boss to answer to and being able to pick and choose the projects that appeal to me.

Finally, when asked about the down sides of freelancing I mentioned the long hours as well as the ups and downs of the business: feast or famine!

So, I guess I have this to say to anyone who is considering entering the freelance world: it ain’t all glamour but if you don’t mind working hard you can make a go of it.

That’s it!

When you think of the word “model”, images of men and women with perfect complexions, incredible bodies and wonderful wardrobes are probably the first things to come to mind. But modeling is much more than that and the need for “non-traditional” models is probably more prevalent than you imagine. If you consider advertising, media and books that use photos of real people and places, you can see that you don’t have to be a perfectly-proportioned person with a flawless look to find modeling opportunities. That gives rise to the question, “Do you have what it takes to be a model?”

If you’re interested in modeling but you need experience, you should likely begin your search locally. Every city that has an advertising company probably needs models. In the larger cities where magazines and other media are produced and printed, you’ll also find a need for people willing to model. Almost every catalog, flyer and circular that arrives in your mailbox includes photos of at least a few people who were willing to model for that publication. The opportunities are out there but you have to be willing to go after them.

Consider the local advertising agency. Especially if you’re talking about an agency in a smaller city with limited financial resources, the search for quality models is continuous. They need people willing to model with and be spokesperson for area businesses that are intent on producing commercials with local faces.

Magazines are also a good source of modeling opportunities. For example, a magazine accepts a story from a freelance writer about mothers to be printed in the Mother’s Day edition. Stories are always more appealing if there is art to catch the reader’s eye and the magazine begins its search for appropriate models for this story. They don’t need a cover girl - they need a mother (or at least a woman who can look like one).

Think you don’t have the figure for modeling? Catalogs are another good source of modeling opportunities. Apparel companies don’t just sell clothing for the men and women with perfect bodies. The fact that not every woman is a “perfect size six” means that not all clothing offered will be a size six. What better way to entice the smaller than normal woman (or those larger than normal) to choose a particular product than by showing how it looks on other small or large women? This creates an excellent opportunity for those who will never fit into a size six dress to give modeling a try.

If you are fortunate enough to have the perfect body, complexion and look for traditional modeling, you still might need to start with the less-traditional modeling jobs. No matter what kind of modeling you want to do, remember that it boils down to hard work in sometimes less-than-ideal conditions. Catalogs, magazines and advertisers will do photo shoots well ahead of the season. That means that you could find yourself modeling swimsuits on the beach while it’s still too cold to be on the beach, or wrapped up in ski gear in front of a crackling fire in mid-summer. But if modeling truly appeals to you, you might just find that you do have what it takes to become a model.

Copyright 2005 by Lynn Walls. All rights reserved.

Working from home, at least one or two days per week, used to be seen as a real luxury, something that was only afforded to middle or higher management, since they were the only ones that could be relied upon to actually undertake work from home, with everyone else still expected to come into the office.

Yet there are more and more organisations recognising that working from home at least one day a week is a very good idea. So if you are interested in persuading your boss to let you do this, then you may wish to present them with some of the following arguments.

If you have a child or children or caring responsibilities then it is worth asking your employer if they will allow you to work from home one day per week, so that you will find life a little less stressful and hopefully as a result, you will be more productive.

Even if you don’t have children, you can ask your employer to consider this on the grounds that you will still have phone and internet access, but that you will find it easier to work at home and because you will not have as many distractions, you will be more able to produce reports, meet deadlines, do the graphics for presentations etc. Generally office environments are busy, with background noises, distractions and colleagues who may interrupt you right at a vital moment. But at home you do not have these distractions, so you are able to concentrate more fully on the work in hand, which ultimately makes good business sense.

You should also present an environmental argument. Each journey that commuters don’t take, reduces greenhouse gas emissions. (This is particularly true if you drive to work). If everyone worked from home on a Friday, there would be far less congestion on the roads and offices could reduce heating and lighting bills by around 20% per annum.

Increasingly people are becoming much more aware of the fact that work is just work and indeed there is much more to life than simply working all the hours God sends. This is particularly true if you have kids. After all, you can work long hours, they can have all the latest gadgets, toys and i-pods etc, but if they don’t really know you and if you don’t know them, then what is the point of it all? Do you want their memories of childhood to be ones that relate only to the material possessions they had, rather than fun times with Mummy and Daddy?

Isn’t it better to spend as much time with your children as possible, before they grow up, fly the nest and you wonder just where on earth the time went?

Well if you are thinking about whether or not you are working too much, then the chances are that you probably are! But just because you have been working long hours, doesn’t mean that you have to carry on that way. You may be able to cut down your hours and adopt a flexible working arrangement with your employer. Or you may be able to look for a new position that offers you a chance to work fewer hours and spend more time with your children.

There are so many recruitment agencies around, that can all help you to find the kind of hours that you need, at the right kind of pay scale, so you can get help to find the job that offers you the chance to play a really big part in your children’s lives, but also gives you the opportunity to carry on with your career. In other words, you really can have your cake and eat it too. Which is great news, not just for you, but also for your kids as well!

In the UK, stress is a big, big issue. For example, there were almost 14 million working days lost in the UK, in 2006-07, due purely to stress, anxiety or depression. Stress, if untreated can lead to all sorts of problems such as chronic anxiety or depression, heart problems and low self esteem, which can then lead to substance abuse, for example drinking too much or smoking etc.

When people are experiencing stress it is often quite difficult for them to achieve a good work-life balance and they end up focussing almost completely on work and forgetting not just about themselves, but also about children, relationships and people to whom they are close, which can often create relationship problems on top of everything else.

So how you cope if your job is getting you down? Well, the first thing to do is to try and take positive action to reduce the causes of stress in the workplace and only you can know what they are. Talk to your manager or if s/he is a major cause of your stress, talk to Human Resources or someone else in management. Be honest and try to be constructive in how you outline what has been stressing you.

Away from work, take time out and ensure that you relax at least for a part of every day. You should also think about work and what it means to you. If you are in a highly stressful career or in an environment that seems to breed stress, then it may be worth talking to a recruitment agency about other options that may be available to you. This isn’t about running away, it is simply making sure that you don’t end up sacrificing your health for your job! Your health is too important to risk and no one is indispensable, even if you don’t think that is true: it is!