To ask if full time working mums cope?

[superstarheartbreaker]

I am fed up with teaching . I actually think I hate it and I have been threatened by kids and unsupported by slt too many times so I quit.
The holidays are great for dd and I though. Tomorrow I have an interview in a law firm for a secretary.
I am chuffed as I have been interested in being a legal secretary for some years now. However it will be 9 to 5 full time and less holidays.
I will be thrilled not to have to plan in the evenings etc but worried I won't see much of dd. I will still be able to spend time with dd won't I? We already have our summer holidays booked so I can request holiday for that time...should I get it?

Your significant change from teaching is you need to accommodate the school hols
You need to factor in Easter,Summer,October,the in service days
It's not insurmountable but you must plan and book well ahead

Obviously if you give up teaching you give up the favourable t&c.but I presume you've factored that in

Chose a job that's not detrimental to your mental and physical health and then just get in with it like everyone else

I work in a very large firm in Leeds Nd my secretary hardly ever works past her finish time, nor would I expect her to. In fact, all the secretaries work extremely hard whilst they are there but I know of only one that works extra hours and she does that as her husbands starts early and drops her off. In fact, they get paid overtime if they work more than half an hour late and we would have to have a very good reason to incur that cost.

I would think being a legal secretary is very compatible with being a mum, much more so than being a solicitor!

My mum worked as a legal secretary when I was a child, at a small
town high street firm. She did 9-5 with a lunchbreak. V occasionally she needed to stay an extra half an hour max. But that really was the exception rather than the rule.
I do have friends who are lawyers in London City firms and that's v different. Even secretaries do overtime and some even work shifts due to international deals etc. But that's obviously not what you're talking about. Almost all the teachers I know are fed up, despite the holidays, so I can understand why you want to change.

Quangle has a point on legal aid firms though. That kind of firm is more a vocational though and I'd expect all staff would be expected and needed to do regular unpaid overtime.

I would stay as a teacher - lovely l

Lovely long holidays. If you don't want to actually teach though, maybe admin or business development, marketing, alumni work in a private school? Or bursars office? Could be similar to legal secretary work, ie admin but in a professional environment

Yeah, I used to work for a firm that was in profit every year and bonuses were guaranteed. It was called the Royal Bank of Scotland....

You hate teaching, seems like it's worth a change but do check as others have said what you'll do for all the holidays - I agree, the half terms that last 10 days when there's no holiday club and I've used up a lot of vacation at Xmas when there's also no holiday club are the thing. Can you negotiate slightly more holiday? It's also depressing to have to drag your child into every single piece of extra care a school offers, bear that in mind.

My secretary also leaves at 5 everyday. Big firm but small office - if typing needs doing late we do it, I wouldn't expect my secretary to stay!

That said OP, I actually transitioned from legal admin to 'the dark side'. You may get to leave at 5 when you're a secretary. However, if you ever want to move into a fee earning role it will not be 9-5 or anything near. It is very rare for me to leave the office before 7 or 8 and not unusual for me to still be there at 9 or 10 (or 1am if there's a transaction on).

Take the job if it's what you want but be aware that it's highly unlikely you'll ever be able to move into the fee earning side if the firm has the impression you're a clock watcher.

Not all firms are the same of course.

Its not depressing in least to use summer club,Afterschool.its just how it is
And what you do if you work ft in job that's not got the favourable holidays of teaching
You'll probably find it hard since teaching holidays are so long

Don't forget op that you will give up your public sector pension, sick pay, union rights, maternity pay, job security and many other benefits apart from the 13 weeks holiday.

The women who have a lot of family support with short-notice childcare seem to fare best IMO. The ones that take on full-time and who, through expectation or habit, have to all the domestic stuff don't fare as well, not over a long time anyway.

If you don't have family support, a live-in aupair is worth her weight in gold for a ft working mum with schoolage children. On top of cleaning and school run/child care, an aupair can also provide sick and holiday cover for extra pocket money. You will need an extra room in the house.

Sorry if I offended anyone by my comments. It's just that I know most of the secretaries at my firm feel unappreciated. But it's probably better at a smaller firm.

Could you work in a University? I have a very interesting administrative job in a university in communications. I don't get the same holidays as the students obviously, but get 28 days a year, plus bank hols, plus we close for a week over Christmas and five days over Easter, all of which are on top of our annual leave. They are very family-friendly with lots of parents working flexibly.

I teach in a secondary school. Have a 4 and 8 yr old. It's only because of the holidays that I can cope with full time.
I wonder why you are supply teaching. Which subject do you teach? Generally I think you will find that being a permanent member of staff is quite different to supply teaching...I do feel guilty about how little effort or appreciation is invested in supply teachers.
I often think about leaving teaching (I think all teachers do...) but to earn what I do, with the holidays I get would be impossible elsewhere. Have you been on the sec ed boards? Lots of people in the same situation as you.

Could you go part time or a 4 day week in school? The holidays are a big thing to give up when you have dc

Some friends or ours have au pairs. They go to the local language school so change every few months. They are absolutely brilliant. The Dd in this case is never lonely (only child like our dd) and has met loads of amazing people from different countries. It really seems like a godsend for our friends because they are Drs at the hospital so do all sorts of strange shifts.

Not a mother but I work in small SW London solicitors.

My colleague is other legal secretary/PA, she works a 4 day week but stays late Monday to Thursday to make up her hours for Fridays off.

Yes sometimes you do do overtime but that's as and when and depends on workload. I will say some places do ask fit their pound of flesh but this has been in past few years less jobs etc.

Request good starting salary and decent holidays and you should be fine, good luck!

Sorry other colleague is mother eldest teenager now though!

I think op may find all the holiday/aftercare depressing, it's
somewhat personal but of my child's 17 strong nursery class, there are only 3 including my dd that I ever see in the holiday clubs. The others either have family care or more holidays than I do.

I use clubs/nursery for all breaks.in the class im in a minority.lots of housewives

Agree with BitOutofPractice.

Aswell as less hols there may be no sickpay. Never worked in a firm with employer sickpay. Check the employer contribution if any to pension.

I've always worked in small high street law firms (albeit as a solicitor). We get 20 days holiday plus 3 days xmas shut down and bank hols, no sickpay. We are expected to use holiday for medical appointments.

Most small law firms are partnerships - most of the partners are middle aged men. They are clueless re childcare/flexibility as they have SAHM wives.

I know the secretaries are on under £15,000 full time. So a big drop in salary from teaching plus another 9 weeks childcare to pay for.

Yes,of course factor in the additional cost of childcare from salary op

I would point out, not all law firms are the same - OP has said it'll be a small firm.

depends on workload and what type of work she does. You may/may not get overtime/bonus etc...

I knew a legal secretary friend of mine who actually worked from home, they couriered/posted audio tapes to her and she sent work out that way eg from home or via the company - but they were both SW London based - worker and employer.

I will say this - legal people CAN be tough, demand a lot etc but they can also be nice, different fields etc. if you get into a firm in a small/medium sized town, nice depts etc you could be onto a not bad job as a legal secretary.

I wouldn't jump though OP at paralegal/legal executive - though this is possible it's extra work and you may be expected to train alongside your current role (secretary), there are better opportunities for you there though, a good paralegal can earn quite a good wage.