Congratulations! So youve decided to make a leap back into the workforce after having a baby (or two!).

Millions of moms have known for years that you can manage the two and do it without being burnt out and without sacrificing quality time with your family.

In fact, most working mothers report that their life is much more rewarding because they have the best of both worlds. How do they do it?

If you want to get back into the workforce what you really need to do is find a good, flexible job that allows you to have time for your family and still bring in some extra money.

The problem is there are a lot of scam artists out there tying to sell you jobs that arent legitimate.

How do you separate fact from fiction? Simple. Good flexible jobs have several characteristics in common.

You should look for these characteristics when considering any job offers that come your way as you prepare to re-enter the workforce:

Short Commute You want a job that you dont have to spend more than 20-30 minutes getting to on any given day. Why? You will cut back on the amount of time you spend driving and increase the amount of quality time you are spending with your family. Unless you are the primary breadwinner in the family, there is no reason for you to be driving more than 30 minutes to work every day. Youll simply be wasting time and energy.

Flexible Not Rigid ScheduleNow youll have a hard time finding a job that will let you come in whenever you want and work for as many hours that you want on any given day. However you can find a job that might allow you to work flexible hours certain days of the week, or even work four days per week instead of five. You should also look for a position that allows some flexibility if you need to take a longer lunch break to say, take a sick child to the doctor or pick someone up from daycare. If your employer is going to meet you at the door at 5 o clock to make sure you dont leave a minute early, then your job isnt flexible and you need to find something else.

Work Hours and Pay are Compatible Dont go for a job that requires that you work 60 hours per week and only pays you for 40. Your money is hard earned, and every pound you make is time spent away from your family. Because of this it is important that you get the most bang for your buck and find a job that pays decently and requires that you work a reasonable amount of hours every week.

Benefits Always look to see that a job offers you some kind of benefits. Even if you are only going back part time, many employers now offer perks and some benefits to their part time employees. If you dont think the benefits are reasonable, ask for more. You never know what an employer is willing to give to attract high quality candidates such as yourself.

Youll want to avoid jobs that are obviously scams. If a job sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You want to be sure to do your homework when it comes to working.

There are hundreds of jobs out there that target moms looking to stay at home, and many of them arent legitimate.

If youre not sure, call your local better business bureau to ensure that the company is legitimate, and at the very least ask for references then check them!

You can find a great job and still enjoy time with your kids, as long as you keep in mind the above points when searching for a career!

So you’ve got that degree in Music Production – but after months of scouring the want ads, you’re beginning to wonder if you shouldn’t have backed it up with a minor in Education. Don’t despair yet – you’re a creative person or you wouldn’t have chosen this business to begin with. The secret to finding and getting music production jobs is to use some of that creativity in your job search.

There are three things to keep in mind when doing a creative job search for music production jobs:

1. As many as 90% of the jobs in any media occupation never get advertised through regular channels. The music production companies get enough over the transom resumes that they can pick and choose without advertising.

2. In many music production jobs, networking will be a key part of your job description. If you can’t network to get a job, you’ll have a hard time convincing a hiring manager that you can do the job.

3. Sometimes the best way to get your foot in the door is to intern for a music production company. According to a recent survey conducted by CareerExposure, 94% of employers have offered a full time job to interns when their internship was finished.

Keeping those three things in mind, you can put together a creative music productions job search that will land you the position that you want using the following blueprint.

1. Do your homework. You should know the music production jobs that you’re going after inside out. Read up on the web, visit the library and bookstores and find out all that you can.

2. Start applying your networking skills. Make a list of people you know who may be able to help you. Don’t forget to include people like your ex-teachers, business acquaintances and people you know through other people. Did you do sound levels for a band? Have you interned for a publisher? Have you got a chance to attend a media symposium? Those are all important contacts for you when you’re trying to network your way into music production jobs.

Boldness is an important skill to cultivate here. Ask for letters of introduction, or for permission to use someone’s name when you contact another. It’s amazing how quickly you’ll get results with a simple statement like, “Hi, Mr. Producer, my name is Interested Party. My professor, Ms. In-The-Know suggested that I call you when I told her that I’m interested in an internship with your company. Do you have a few moments to talk with me about that now, or is there a better time to call you?”

3. All right, you’re not quite that bold? There are several different methods of approach you can use to contact people who hold the keys to music production jobs.

- Mail is the most traditional method. Once you’ve researched enough to know what companies you want to work for, and who makes hiring decisions there, you can mail a resume along with an excellent cover letter. Chances are though, that you’ll have to follow up on your initial mail. Remember point #1 above – music production companies get loads of over the transom resumes.

- Email is a second option, and is a reasonable way to follow up as well. If you’ve sent your resume by mail, wait a few days and then follow up with an email to the hiring manager stating that you’re following up on your mailed resume and are very interested in discussing possible career options within his or her company. If you haven’t, send a cover letter and resume via email, and follow up in a few days with a second email.

- Telephone calls may be scary, but they are one of the quickest ways to get through to the person you want to speak with. Keep in mind that your phone call is an interruption to the hiring manager’s day – be pleasant, be brief and be direct.

The secret to finding and getting music production jobs is being bold enough to get yourself out there and sell your skills and abilities. With only 10% of the available jobs ever being offered openly in the classifieds, it’s the only way that you’ll ever know what music production jobs are available.