Math undergrad, MBA and PHD in Finance and 8 years of research and trading on Wall street at major firms (Salomon, Bankers Trust, Societe General). Got married and moved to France. Stopped working and have a 6 month old baby. I want to work from home because my husband is a diplomat and so we will be moving around the world every 3 years. I want to do something different. I love writting, I want to use my skills/experience, I love teaching, I am dying to do something different. I dont know where to start and what to look for. I am sure that traditional job titles and descriptions are not going to do it for me. Any ideas?

-- Efi Pilarinu (efipm@europe.com), December 13, 2000

Answers

Efi, this may sound obvious and trite but the first idea I would think about it doing 1+1+1=3. That would be to take your Math’s degree add it to your love of teaching and add your desire to work from home which to me gives an answer of tutoring young children who want Math’s help. It will bring in some income; it will allow you to use the abilities that you already have and work from a place that suits you and the hours you need to devote to your child. Of course you can use the same equation and come up with answers like become an investment advisor, do some consulting or even discover some outlandish vocation or philanthropic interests.

Having said something that is direct, I also would like to leave a perception. I want you to think about all the women (and I suppose men to) who go to movies to see Harrison Ford play a diplomat. Being a diplomat’s wife in reality may not be the glam and romanticism that Ford brings out in his roles but for people who live the on the “reality” side, often they fail to connect to the romantic idea contained in the plot.

We often get our best ideas when our minds are turned off from the day-to-day quest to be productive and lead useful lives. Tap into that creative potential, because when we enjoy what we have, we can sit back enough to naturally allow new and greater ideas to emerge. Sometimes when we start relaxing and enjoying instead of striving and achieving, we give ourselves the license to think bigger. Maybe those people who pay to watch the romanticism in the movies may be leaving the movie theatre with more creativity then we do when we have the life that movies portray. Most of those film watchers may not have an outlet or the will to make productive that creativity, but we often do, yet we fail to create the source of creative thinking in our lives in the fear that by allowing our minds to be empty and carefree, that we are wasting time.

M.

M Profile at: http://www.fastcompany.com/fasttalk/replypost.html? p=9738 "To be or not to be that is the question" A quote by Willy Shakes. Mantra of M. "Life is about Private Relations not Public Relations"

-- Mark Zorro (zorromark@consultant.com), December 14, 2000.

Gee, Efi... have you considered freelance writing? Technical writing? You've got a lot of specific experience that could translate into teaching others what you know, either on a general level, or help with a software development effort for a product used in the financial arena, especially trading. Maybe you should look at that? Some companies will even give you the option to work at home, which may suit you. ...pat.

-- pat anderson (patash@sympatico.ca), December 14, 2000.