Would anyone employ someone FT who needs just 1 day off a week to study?

[hangingoutattheendofmywick]

In a nutshell - I have been accepted on to my dream change of career course. Assumed this would be (as it's one day a week) on a Saturday. It isn't. It's on a bloody week day. I HAVE to work full time as I have two children.

Would anyone employ me (I need to get a job in Sept when eldest starts school) if the caveat is "i need a week day off to do a degree?' Or will they go ... er.... no!

Does anyone have this arrangement with their employer? I really need to work FT or there isn't any point in me going out to work.

The alternative is do the course FT (2 days a week) and work PT... my husband thinks my income would be so low then I wouldn't pay any tax. So that would be a bonus.

To clarify... the jobs I would be looking for would be office / admin work preferably at a uni / college / school. I don't want to work in retail / restaurants.

So do any of you do this? Can I do this? I desperately want to do the course!
thanks

[LotisBlue]

My employer sometimes allows people to work compressed hours if that's what you mean. If you look for jobs which aren't public facing then the employer might be prepared to be flexible.

[UrethaFranklin]

So would you be looking to work FT hours but over 4 days? How many hours are you thinking of?

I have worked in admin at a Uni and a College of FE and this would not have been possible at either of my institutions but that's not to say it wouldn't be possible elsewhere.

[balancingfigure]

I'm not quite sure I'm understanding you properly but if you're studying 1 day a week then surely you need to look for a job that's 4 days a week. This shouldn't be impossible but will need to fit around your study day. You can't work full time because you're not available all week!

[hangingoutattheendofmywick]

I guess I mean can I find a job for 4 days a week yes .... they aren't likely to be common are they?

[hangingoutattheendofmywick]

makes me wonder what on earth the other folks on the course will be doing.

[yorkshirepuddingandroastbeef]

It's hard.

I did an ongoing temporary role which wasn't too busy and asked to do four days which was allowed. I think if you do find a role it will be full time for 0.8 hours and salary.

[flowery]

If you are looking for admin work why not broaden your search to organisations which are open 6/7 days a week, so you could work full time but not on the day you need for your course?

[LotisBlue]

I'm currently working 4 days a week (. 8 contract ). Obviously I only get paid for four days! I'm applying for new jobs at the moment and sometimes if a role is advertised as full time they are prepared to consider a 0.8 appointment. Unfortunately ime you end up doing 5 days work in 4.

Your other option is compressed hours, where you would work eg. Four nine hour days. Obviously this wouldn't work if you have a school run!.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

When I recruit I would always be open to requests to work flexibly /part time
You might be best off looking for temporary contracts? Otherwise the fact you are going to be studying for a "dream career" my put them off? (As not likely you will stay long term). Are there any jobs relevant to your course? Our best admin people (law firm) have been law students or similar

[ArchNotImpudent]

I don't want to work in retail / restaurants.

It's a shame you've ruled out customer service sectors - not that I blame you - because they're the industries where Saturday working with a day off in the week is pretty much the norm.

[OneWithTheForce]

What field is your course in? Could you look in the sector your course relates to and put it to employers as a work placement type arrangement because your course would make you increasingly valuable to their company? Perhaps if you agreed to stay with them for a year after you qualify?

[HerRoyalNotness]

Have you checked the industry in which you'll be training for? So train on the job and study? DH did day release for his engineering degree and I got half a day off when I wanted to do a course related to the industry I was in.

It doesn't hurt to ask

[hangingoutattheendofmywick]

the course is psychology....

[underneaththeash]

You do know you need a PHd to do anything worthwhile with psychology.
Uni courses don't generally run on a weekend, only a weekday.

But, yes otherwise, you just need to get a 4 day a week job and plenty of parents work 4 day weeks, you just obviously get paid 4/5ths pf the salary.

[urbanrock]

I'm an employer, I would and have employed full time staff who needed particular days off. IMO being a good employer means realising that your staff have lives outside of work and if I can help create a good work life balance then my staff appreciate it and don't mind helping out during busy times.

[MaryWortleyMontagu]

I work pt in an admin role at a uni and I've known people who have worked ft compressed hours so it is definitely possible, but working 8am-6pm for 4 days a week each and every week is a lot.

[museumum]

I work 4 days a week as do many parents in my city as schools finish at lunchtime on Fridays around here.

[Essexmum69]

I have staff that work full time hours over 4 days (NHS) and I personally do FT over 4.5 days. You are probably more likely to find it in areas that work prolonged days ( eg GP surgery rather than for example a primary school)

[ClashCityRocker]

Where I work there's a fair number of people who do a four day week.

Some people do longer hours on the other days, some people are only employed on a four day a week basis.

There should be jobs out there where this is an option.

Or two part time jobs if you can get the shifts to work? Bit trickier in admin positions, I suspect.

bear in mind you've got to fit study time around the course, presumably, I'd want to avoid paid work on the weekends - otherwise it could be a struggle to see the kids.

[ClashCityRocker]

I think if you can afford it, I'd be more inclined towards ft with a part time job. In my experience, doing part time studying often equates to more studying required outside contact time than full time studying - but that might just be my learning style!

[mistlethrush]

Psychology appears to be very popular now... Will it result in the career that you're really hoping for in the end - what proportion of students manage to get into the line of work you're hoping to?

[HidingFromDD]

Are you talking undergraduate or Dclin/PhD. If it's not the later, then it's a very long and competitive road

[OutandIn]

A degree in psychology isn't enough anymore to have a career in it i don't think. The ones i know have phds or the very least masters. Do you have a post degree plan?

[hangingoutattheendofmywick]

Thanks for your replies.

It's a Post graduate in Psych and yes I have a plan. I have been a teacher in FE for 15 years so i am doing it along side a counselling course in order to be a student counsellor OR student mentor OR behavioural support worker. If all of those fail I always have the option for teaching it. I believe it will help me to get out of the teaching side and move into student support at a high level somewhere in the education sector. I also plan to then study either psych or counselling / psychotherapy at masters & even phd level providing all goes well.

[blueskyinmarch]

I would think you are better looking for a PT job if you are also trying to fit in a counselling course and post grad and looking after a family. You will need some time for course work/reading/writing assignments i assume and that would be hard to do if you were also working 4 days.