5 careers to think about if you need flexibility.

By Tony Moton

Ever wish there were two of you... one to take care of your responsibilities at home, and one to take care of your responsibilities at work?

While it's physically impossible to be in two places at once, lots of people are finding ways to create such an illusion by finding jobs that offer plenty of flexibility. Among them are students, working mothers, and people in need of part-time employment.

Workers like these are making the old "40-hours-from-9-to-5" work regimen appear obsolete. In fact, Workplace Flexibility 2010, a Georgetown University Law Center think tank, suggested flexible work arrangements (FWAs) should become the norm - not the exception - on the job.

According to Workplace Flexibility 2010, FWAs are defined by work environments as those that:

• Allow flexibility in the scheduling of hours
• Provide flexibility in the number of hours worked
• Enable workers a variety of settings in which to work, such as home, satellite or different locations
• Have career flexibility with multiple points of entry, exit and re-entry into the workforce
• Are able to address unexpected and ongoing personal and family needs

Sound like something you'd be interested in? Check out these five flexible positions:

1. Court Reporters

What they do: Create word-for-word transcripts of legal proceedings, speeches, meetings, and other events through voice writing, electronic reporting, or stenograph. More and more, court reporters provide close-captioning and real-time translating services.

Flexibility factors: Self-employed or freelance court reporters can work at various hours, including part-time, evenings, and weekends. They also might work on call.

Training: The amount varies with the type of reporting chosen. It normally takes less than a year to become a novice voice writer, but to become a real-time stenographic reporter takes about 33 months on the average.

Mean hourly wage: $24.98*

Find Court Reporting training programs near you or online.

2. Medical Transcriptionists

What they do: Listen to and transcribe dictated recordings made by physicians. Key the text into a personal computer or word processor for medical reports, communications, and other administrative material. For those working in a physicians' office, may also answer phones, schedule appointments, and receive patients.

Flexibility factors: A good number of medical transcriptionists telecommute from home-based offices. About 41 percent work in hospitals, and another 29 percent work in physicians' offices.

Training: An associate's degree or a one-year medical transcription certificate program that include courses in anatomy, medical technology, English, grammar, and punctuation are desirable. Those who have previous experience as a nurse or medical secretary can improve their value with refresher courses and training.

Mean hourly wage: $15.84

Find Medical Transcription programs now.

3. Nursing, Psychiatric, and Home Health Aides

What they do: Assist in the care for physically or mentally ill, injured, disabled, or patients in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and mental health settings. Home health aides perform similar tasks in patients' homes or residential care facilities.

Flexibility factors: High replacement needs and high employment growth, due to an aging population, help create plentiful opportunities for these positions. Nearly one in four aides works part time, and because patients might need care 24 hours a day, work hours are available nights, weekends, and holidays.

Training: Nursing and psychiatric aide training is offered in high schools, vocational-technical centers, some nursing care facilities, and some community colleges. Courses cover areas such as body mechanics, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, infection control, communication skills, and resident rights.

Mean hourly wage: $9.27*

4. Recreation Workers

What they do: Plan, organize and direct a wide variety of recreational activities, including arts and crafts, camping, and sports. Can be found in businesses where they coordinate and direct leisure activities for employees. Camp counselors and recreation leaders are just a few examples of recreation workers.

Flexibility factors: Unusually large number of part-time and seasonal job opportunities. Educational requirements range from a high school diploma to a graduate degree in parks and recreation, business administration, or public administration for a full-time career professional position.

Training: Specialized training or experience in a particular field, such as art, music, drama, or sports, is an asset for many jobs. Some jobs also require certification.

Mean hourly wage: $11.81*

5. Medical Equipment Preparers

What they do: Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. Could perform routine laboratory duties and operate or inspect equipment. Specific duties could include examining equipment to detect wear and tear on parts and disinfecting and sterilizing equipment such as respirators and hospital beds.

Flexibility factors: Industries with the highest levels of employment for this occupation include general medical and surgical hospitals, physician and dentist offices, outpatient care centers, and colleges, universities, and professional schools. Short-term on-the-job training is the most significant type of entry experience.

Training: A lot of positions require a high school diploma and come with entry-level on-the-job training, but other types of positions might require technical school or military experience.

Mean hourly wage: $14.08*

* All salary data from the U.S. Department of Labor