Really want to work again.

[Lostmyemailaddress]

I haven't worked in 14 years due to being a sahp I'm currently a lone parent carer for 2 dcs with sn. I have other dcs too with 2 not being school age as yet 2yr and 11 weeks old.
I claim carers and I'm so so tired of it I want to work but due to my dcs sn I need to be at home as 1 keeps being excluded as she doesn't cope very well in mainstream and I have regular appointments with them so going out to work would be hard as I would need time off quite frequently.
I have my gcses but I'm worried they are out of date now and I was doing a administration nvq before I got pregnant with dc1 and his dad convinced me we'd be better off with me at home. I've worked in sales and wasn't very good at it and most of my experience was office based.
I've been looking at online courses so I could work around all the appointments and still be here when dd1 gets excluded.
I've looked into work from home jobs but many seem to be money led schemes and I think I'd struggle doing things like Avon or betterware.
I want to work and feel useful again and I'd also like to be able to move my kids to a better area then where we are now and getting a job would be a big help with that.
I'm stuck on what would be the best way forward and wondered if anyone had any suggestions or ideas please.
Thank you in advance.

[daisygirlmac]

Can you drive and do you have access to a car? I wonder if something like a viewings assistant for an estate agent would suit. Mostly self employed and set your own hours. Similarly (can you tell what job I have) you could be an EPC assessor or an inventory clerk for lettings? Both allow you to set your own hours. I would say though maybe be careful as I know you would lose some benefits if you go over a certain amount

[Lostmyemailaddress]

I don't drive but am hoping to be able to start lessons at some point I have sent off for my provisional.
I'm off to google inventory clerk it's mot a job title I've come across.

[daisygirlmac]

Hmmmm. Ok well I think your route would be either to do a qualification - don't rule out a degree, DH has just gone and done an access course for a year and then got in. Or trying to get some work experience with a local company to up your skills.

Personally I would try and do a qualification. If you're in receipt of benefits they are generally free, they can be full or part time courses and you will gain the skills either to go on to a further qualification or into the workplace. (Ps try and get your driving too - DH was the same and has managed!)

[Lostmyemailaddress]

Thank you so much for the advice I will look into courses I did 1 while pregnant that was free by a company called Allison as I wanted to see if I could actually manage to fit it in and I completed an environmental studies one but it was only a multiple choice questionnaire at the end.

[daisygirlmac]

Have a look at your local college. They will have absolutely loads for adult learners and you can see if there's anything there you fancy. I will say try and look for ones which lead on to something, it's quite tempting to do a 12 week business accounting course because it's quick and quite specific. The problem is that you don't really end up with a proper recognised qualification. What you want is something like an access course, NVQ or a specific, industry recognised qualification.

[Lostmyemailaddress]

Ok I will ring during the week and enquire. Thank you so much for the advice
Could I be cheeky and ask if you have any recommendations of any courses that could help me back into work?
I did look at the ou at one point and wanted to do a history degree just because I like history but I don't think there's much I could do with it.

[daisygirlmac]

Be as cheeky as you like!

I will explain a bit where we are. I have worked my way up an industry just purely by starting as a Saturday girl. I'm now senior management but when I got pregnant I sort of lost my shit with DH's constant parade of low wage jobs that never lasted longer than 6 months and I encouraged him to aim higher.

There are different courses for different things but I would say think about what you know, what you are good at and what you would like to do.

So for example, you could go for a healthcare pathway and do an access course for health. You could use this to get you on to a nursing degree.

You could do teaching, or TA with SEN or something in education.

You could do business; accounting (really good!) or sage, or HR.

Lots of things. Aim high, choose your path, investigate how you get there.

And so much love to you and the best of luck. Sometimes life is really bloody hard and I take my hat off to you that you want to work while everything else is going on. Un MNetty hugs for you

[Lostmyemailaddress]

I will and thank you so so much my kids are what is driving me forward want to give them a.better life

[Winebomb]

You could do the higher TA course? Most TA jobs have moved away from the friendly mum in the play ground, and it now demands a qualification.

They pay is rubbish but you can do a free course online I believe, it takes a year or so though. In the meantime could you volunteer?

If you get into a good school they could give you lots of support to become a teacher?

[Lostmyemailaddress]

I will look into the ta course but volunteering is not possible at the minute as I'd need childcare for 2yr old and 11 week old and I wouldn't be able to afford it at the moment.

[monkeyblonde]

@daisygirlmac how would you recommend getting into estate agency - ideally I need school hours weekday work. I’m fed up of always being short of money and my husband always commenting that we need to spend less.
Previously I was an account director at a blue chip company (and used to earn more than him....).

[daisygirlmac]

Monkey, where I am there isn't much school hours weekday work, the actual sales staff are usually full time. However it can't hurt to find out what it's like in your area! To be a negotiator (i.e. person who works in the sales team doing front of house stuff) you don't need any special qualifications. You have to like people, be willing to learn and quite chirpy is always helpful. We don't always look for previous sales experience but if you can drop in about working to targets etc that's helpful.

The other jobs I mentioned - EPC assessor, inventory clerk would be much more flexible. You do need qualifications for those but it's not a long course for either. To get into any of the roles I would look at local companies, go in and ask, perhaps try some work experience to see if you like it. Not all agents are the same, some will be much nicer to work for than others!