It’s not easy juggling a career and family life, especially if you’re reconsidering your choice of career.

Tania McGowan, Director of O’Neill Kinesiology College, said it no longer surprises her how many people – especially women – start a family and then decide their former career is no longer right for them. This is partly due to the demands of the traditional workplace.

“Once you have kids, a lot of careers are hard to go back to. You often have no say over the hours you work, the work hours don’t fit with being a parent and it’s hard for employers to be flexible,” she said.

Some women find themselves tentatively dipping their toes into the workforce again after years, or even decades, out of paid employment. They often find the world has changed or their former work life is not something they’d like to pick up again, after all.

Complementary therapies are beacons for parents and career-changers. It’s an emerging field with healthy employment prospects and it’s centred around helping people – something women find themselves drawn to after becoming a parent.

“I do think you change when you become a mum. Your priorities shift. And if you’re going to leave your children with a relative or in care, you want it to be for something worthwhile,” Tania said.

“It’s hard for mums to move outside of the home if they’ve been there for a while. But having a mum who has a rewarding career is a very good role model for kids. And when you feel like you’re doing something meaningful, you’re happy and then the family is happy.”

It’s a win-win situation.

There are so many benefits to a career in the natural therapies, particularly as a Kinesiologist:

• You are genuinely making a difference in people’s lives, day-to-day.
• You can be your own boss. You can dictate the hours you see clients and work around your family life.
• A good salary beckons. If you work full-time, you can make around $80,000 to $100,000.
• It’s intellectually stimulating.
• It’s dynamic and varied. Each day in the clinic, you’ll see clients with a whole range of issues. And because Kinesiology is so individualised, each case will call for different treatments. You never know where a session will go.

But going back to study is no easy feat. With so many students juggling study and family, O’Neill Kinesiology College has purposefully created a system that caters to their needs. This includes:

• There is no ‘one size fits all’. Various training options and combinations are available, tailored to individual student needs.
• Study is flexible and available full-time and part-time, and on both weekdays and the weekends.
• Courses are structured so they fit into your busy life, rather than taking over.
• There is financial assistance available in monthly payment plans.

O’Neill Kinesiology College understands the needs of both career-changers and parents returning to study (or even parents who are also career-changers). Enquire about our courses today by visiting www.oneillcollege.com.au or calling us on (08) 9330 7443.