Would you apply for a full time job if you wanted it part time?

[SitOnHisFaceIfHeDiesHeDies]

I work Monday to Thursday and dropping Fridays is one of the best decisions I've ever made. It makes me very happy. I am not interested in dropping any other day and picking Fridays back up. Obviously this costs me financially but I do not care. It's worth it for my mental health.

Would you apply for other jobs requesting Monday to Friday knowing you're going to ask to only do four days? I think it would be a piss take to request this once you've started the job but it's fair enough to ask at the interview table? They'd be saving money after all?

Yes I probably would. Does the employer have a website that talks about flexible working/ work life balance? Would you be prepared to do compressed hours? Can you think of the proposal you’d make to them if you were offered the role.
apply anyway, if they really want you they may well flex
good luck!

Still willing to do 30 / 32 hours per week, no other requests about leaving early on other days or working from home. I don't actually like working from home! As long as my working week begins on Monday morning and ends on Thursday afternoon I'm not going to ask for anything else really. It's not a senior role I'd be going for so I'm not hugely "important" as such. Just good old support staff.

Yes because often employers forget about part time workers and it wouldn't cross their mind when advertising despite the fact the job could be done as part time. I would always have the conversation with the recruiting manager after years of not applying for jobs advertised as full time ( only for recruiting manager asking why I wasn't applying and being horrified when I said I didn't think it I could because it was advertised as full time). Complete oversight on their behalf.

Yes I would (and have done this effectively in the past). I would mention it in my application form though so as to no waste anyone’s time if they’re dead set on someone working Friday.

yes, I'd just mention it on the application so they are under no illusion that you want full time.

Yes you'll never get one otherwise

I would email before applying and ask if it can be 4 days. No point in applying/interviewing if they can’t accommodate this.

Yes, but I'd be clear with them right from the start that you only want to do 0.75FTE. They might have someone internally who is part time and wants to increase their hours.

As an employer, people do this all the time and if I’m honest, I find it a bit aggravating. I go through the process of interviewing someone believing them to be a great candidate, only for them to say no because I can’t offer the role on reduced hours.

I think if reduced hours is a deal breaker, you should ask that before interview and see if it’s something the employer would consider.

I did and negotiated a 0.8 week. It was advertised as full time but I asked in the interview, they said they would consider it and then phoned an hour later to offer me the job. I was very clear, at the end of the interview, that if they wanted someone full time I would still consider the role but would be happier with 4 days a week.

Yes although my last manager came in ready to boil over one day and she said if one more person asked her about flexible working/ shorter hours she’d scream as she’d put it on the advert and asked on the phone to confirm too (the ones that said ‘actually I was hoping…’ didn’t get an interview). If you can’t do ft nothing lost though

I think waiting until interview runs the risk of wasting everyone’s time, and could mean that other people who are willing to work as advertised are not offered an interview at all. My employer gets very frustrated with people who do this because if they wanted part time employees they would advertise for that. Still, not as bad as people who wait until they have been offered a position before being honest.

.

I think you have it the wrong way round re it not being an ‘important role’. Senior roles can negotiate flexible working because their skills / experience may be more difficult to find, so companies bend to accommodate them. Plus they tend to naturally work longer hours so it evens out.

A reduced hour support role could possibly have a bigger impact on the team and business, so actually more important that you’re there full time.

But anyway, I’d apply for FT - get in front of them, demonstrate your value and then ask about reduced hours.

So many companies don’t really consider the hours* needed for a role - if it’s on your CV it might be off putting, but after meeting you, and wanting you, they may consider the role and want to make it work for you. Good luck!

*see also people who send 1 hour meeting requests for what will be a 15 minute chat.

For all those employers whining about people wanting reduced hours- if that's what people want then advertise the role as that and do a job share instead. We will all be on 4 day weeks in the next 10 years so full time contracts will be rarer and people will just not apply if you won't be flexible.

Yes- interviews are for both the employer and the employee and negotiation of the terms is perfectly acceptable.

This is good advice when an employer is struggling to fill a position. That is not currently the case in my sector though (perhaps it is in some?) - we are inundated, completely swamped, with applications for every role we advertise. We don't want more people to apply!

OP, I think ask upfront. Either they're open to the idea or they aren't but if it's a hard no then you won't have wasted time by waiting to ask at the interview stage.