Where to find jobs for parents of children with disabilities: a selection of promising and convenient professions

Where to find jobs for parents of children with disabilities: a selection of promising and convenient professions.

 
Every parent raising a child with a disability faces this question at some point. Given the specific needs and limitations related to care and attention, it’s difficult to find a balance between professional fulfillment and family obligations. In this article, we will discuss where to look for jobs and how to choose one that suits you, and which professions are currently promising.  

It is important to understand that a job will never fall into your lap like Newton’s apple. It requires effort, persistence, patience, and even creativity. At first glance, this may seem too difficult if you just continue to go with the flow of your daily routine. However, by developing a proper action plan, you can quickly find a profession that will allow you to support your family and at the same time devote enough attention to your child.  

There are many resources that can help with this. Let’s focus on the main ones. Leading platforms are job search and employment websites, where you can find jobs with flexible schedules and remote work options.

1. Freelancehunt. One of the oldest Ukrainian freelance platforms, operating since 2006. Marketplace principle: the client posts a project, freelancers submit bids. Commission: 9-10%. Pros: "Safe" service, user-friendly interface, wide range of specializations. Con: high competition.

2. Freelance.ua. Works similarly: clients post projects, freelancers apply. Commission: 7.5%, paid by the client. Pros: Pro subscription, fast registration, flexible portfolio. Con: high competition.

3. Kabanchik.ua. Operating since 2012, over 3.78 million orders. Commission depends on the work category. Pros: wide range of services, safe deals. Con: complicated registration, requiring document submission.

4. Weblancer. 1.2 million orders. Freelancers get 50 free applications, after that, they must be purchased. Commission for some projects is 5%. Pros: large audience, safe payments. Con: paid applications.

5. UpWork. The largest freelance platform globally. Commission: 10%. Pros: opportunity to work with big companies (Microsoft, Airbnb). Con: big companies mostly post small projects.

6. Fiverr. International platform where freelancers create "gigs" starting from $5. Commission: 20%. Pros: clients search for freelancers. Con: initially, you need to work cheaply to gain ratings.

7. PeoplePerHour. International platform with geo-location search for freelancers. Commission: 20%. Pros: secure deals, social media integration. Con: high commission, inconvenient interface.

8. Freelancer. 71 million users, 2700 specializations. Commission: 3%. Pros: multilingual interface, quick registration. Con: many paid options to expand account features.

9. Guru. No ranking system, only reviews matter. Commission: 2.95% + 4.5-11.95%. Pros: time tracking for freelancers. Con: outdated interface, no live chat support.

10. Truelancer. Commission: 8-10%. More advantages for clients: easy to find cheap workers. Con for freelancers: low payment for work.

Next, there are State Employment Centers, which also provide useful information and implement support programs for job search, retraining, or career development.

In addition, many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide information about job opportunities, help with employment, or even offer jobs. Caritas Ukraine (caritas.ua), for instance, regularly posts job openings on their website under the "Vacancies" section, providing detailed descriptions and contact information. They also occasionally announce employment opportunities with partner organizations.  

It is also worth mentioning the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (redcross.org.ua), which has a large section of vacancies for professionals from various fields. Additionally, on their website, you can find information about free professional development courses or training for new careers. These are just a few examples of organizations actively helping people find jobs. Nationwide NGOs, such as the Business and Professional Women’s League of Ukraine or the Women’s Consortium of Ukraine, as well as local organizations, can be helpful in reaching your employment goals.  

Finally, the most dynamic and up-to-date sources of job opportunities for parents of children with disabilities are social media and other online platforms with their chats, channels, forums, and groups, which are also useful for finding job offers, freelancing opportunities, or networking. Let’s briefly highlight the key ones:  
- LinkedIn: The most popular professional social network. It allows you to create a professional profile, post your resume, view job listings, and communicate directly with employers.  
- Facebook: It has specialized job search groups by profession and region, company pages with job postings, and local or professional groups and communities offering or seeking job opportunities.  
- Instagram: It includes company profiles with job advertisements and uses hashtags for job searching.  
- Telegram: It features channels and chats with job offers in various fields.  
All social networks work with hashtags. Let’s briefly cover this. A hashtag is a keyword that helps you find posts relevant to your query. When searching for job-related information, you can use hashtags like #job, #work, #cv, or more specialized ones like #itjob, #designerwanted. Type the hashtag into the search bar of any social network and review the suggested posts. You can also follow hashtags that interest you to receive updates and stay informed.  
Today, these platforms have become key hubs for employer queries and job seeker resumes. Social networks allow real-time communication, quick results, and significant time savings.  

Of course, when choosing future employment, parents of children with disabilities should consider:  
- the ability to work remotely or with a flexible schedule,  
- having the necessary skills or ways to quickly acquire them,  
- the alignment of the job with their interests and calling,  
- job market demand stability,  
- potential for professional development and growth.  

So, which professional sectors are the most promising right now? Considering modern trends in professional development in Ukraine, we can highlight the following: the incredibly wide range of service professions, IT and creative industries, education and development, medicine and rehabilitation, marketing, finance and law, psychology, and mental health.  

Parents of children with disabilities often have unique experiences and skills that are valuable assets in certain professional fields. It is important to maximize your potential and, if necessary, seek professional career counseling.  
And in our next posts, we will discuss the top 5 key professions that will transform your understanding of the modern labor market, so stay tuned for updates.  

This publication was prepared with financial support from the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Its content is the sole responsibility of the NGO “Epiprosvita” and does not reflect the position of the German Marshall Fund.