To apply for a full time job when I actually want to work part time?

[Friedeggsandwich]

AIBU to do this? I'm fairly flexible about when I would be willing to work, but would much prefer reduced hours, as I have two young DC.

If IANBU, when should I specify that I would prefer part time hours? Before applying, at interview stage, or if/when I am offered the job?

I've recently got a new job and i really struggled because i wanted part time hours, it's taken me since August to find something new.

I did go for a couple of full time interviews and told them at interview stage that i would prefer part time hours but i said i would be willing to do full time, i didn't get any of these jobs because i think they knew my heart wasn't in it full time so i started sending the companies my CV and saying please consider me should you make the position a job share.

I've had quite a few interviews recently and i found that in most of them they asked if the hours were suitable for me so overall i think that people are open to you suggesting different, but i think you also need to be open to the full time hours or they can tell

I think it is ok to do this as long as you would be happy to take the job if they insisted on full time (otherwise you are wasting everyone's time). If this is the case, I'd leave asking until you have wowed them at interview and been offered a job!

If I was recruiting and you applied for a FT position without ever intending to take it up I'd be pretty annoyed TBH. Recruiting is very costly, both in financial terms (those consultants cost) but also in terms of staff time, creating the JD and person spec, interview questions and tests, shortlisting selecting, interviewing, ....

Only apply if you would take the FT post if offered.

If you are applying for a FT position then you need to be prepared to work FT. If they will negotiate on that then all well and good but yeah, you need to be prepared to do FT.

Surely depends on the industry - is part time the norm? Unfortunately was in a similar situation and have had no choice but to work full time or nothing. Bloody hard work - would love to be part time but don't have that luxury unfortunately.

What everybody else said.

The other thing to consider is to find a job share partner and apply together.

Also, if the job is FT, then I assume that the amount of work that the post needs to cover will take 37.5 hours a week or whatever.

Two job sharers have a higher cost than one FTer too.

Ask when applying, that way if they cant accomdate part you have not wasted their time.

Theres nothing worse that shortlisting, interviewing and then finding out the person cant even do the hours in the job advertisement.

Yes do it!! I have been successful at getting good, part time jobs this way several times.Lots of times employers do not have a clear idea of what they want they advertise.If you wow them at interview then they will think how they could accommodate you.Remember employing someone for 25 hours a week is a lot cheaper than hiring someone for 35

You can, by law, request flexible working (which includes p/t) after 6 months I think, if you have grounds for the request. One of our colleagues is doing just that, but tbh it's causing monumental headaches in terms of cost and recruitment (we also strongly suspect that she took the f/t job with the intention of going p/t, as she's done this twice before).

If a job is advertised as f/t then generally speaking they want someone who can do the hours needed and advertised. I would make it clear at the interview that you are interested in the job on a p/t basis, or see if you can find someone and apply as a job share.

You can request flexible working, yes, but they can say no.

I think you should check before you apply, otherwise you are wasting their time and your time.

Many thanks for the replies. Seems most think it is best to be upfront when applying if I'm unwilling to consider FT. I think I would consider FT at a stretch, but it would be tough.
pixie - can I ask when you asked about PT? Was it once you'd been offered the job?

I think it depends on the business - some companies have been cash-strapped so they may like a good person part-time but I'd tell them before an offer made

It depends what the job is, really. If it is a part-time job then they presumably would have advertised it has a part-time job. If it is a full-time job then if they employ you, they have to hire someone else, which costs money.

Only you know what the job entails and whether you can go in and argue clearly that you can do what they need in 25-30 hours.

But in my experience, if a job is full-time, it's designed for 40 hours a week...

Yes - they can say no, absolutely, but there cases (depending on the sector) where it's harder to say no. It's worth being upfront from the beginning imo.

I've done a couple of jobs that were advertised as full time but after doing them for a couple of months, it was blindingly obvious that the job could be done in 4 days a week, which is what I did, as I was happy to take the cut in pay and couldn't bear sitting around at work twiddling my thumbs. Company was happy as it saved them money. If, on the odd occasion, I needed to do more time, I would just do a bit of unpaid overtime to make sure I didn't get behind.

Iv done this. My current job was advertised as FT but at my interview I stated I would prefer PT if possible. If they had said no, I would have just declined the job (as I did with a previous job) but luckily they were flexible.

I've done this twice. In both cases, I started full-time but after a few months, once I knew the job and where the "quiet patches" were, I negotiated going part time with those quieter times off. I think it's fine to do this as long as you'd be prepared to start full-time and renegotiate later.

If it's part-time or nothing, perhaps it would be better to ask about "options for flexible working" at the interview.