There is no wrong time to prepare for your future. In fact now may be the perfect time to work on your education and other career goals. Working mothers and even those who stay at home can really benefit. Several career areas will experience significant growth, and there will be a need to fill many positions. It should be no surprise that communications and technology are areas that are steadily rising in importance. For work and play most people use several forms of sophisticated technology. It takes many people to develop these products as well as to help people use them. Several projections rank computer software engineering as one of the professions that is expected to rise greatly in the next five years. There are plenty of strong job options related to the information technology sector. Health and medicine is another job area that is always in high demand. If being a doctor or nurse doesn't appeal to you, there are many other medical fields to consider. Physical therapists and their assistants will be in high demand as well as occupational therapists and athletic trainers. Some analysts also think behavioral disorder counselors will be highly sought. There are several other fields besides counseling that don't necessarily require a medical degree to practice. Although the job outlook appears dark now, there is still reason to be optimistic. Financial planning will be an important area in many sectors which will provide jobs. Education is the key to getting a job in any of these areas. Moms are often hardest hit by a poor economy. Luckily there are programs targeted specifically toward them. The recent Grants for Moms initiative was started by President Obama and his administration. The government hopes to entice more moms to go back to school with the incentive of earning a $5,000 award. Hopefully more mothers can earn the bachelor's, associate's and specialized degrees that are needed to fill important positions in the work force. Moms have a lot of responsibility for their children and families, and the Obama education grants are an effort to give something back to them. At 2-year and 4-year schools alike there are plenty of amazing educational opportunities. If you're a mother who is thinking of going to school, you should look around to see what you can do.