To think that school admin is near impossible to get in to?

[muchtooshy]

Just that really! Wanting to change jobs into school admin ideally but it seems like it is who you know or they always have someone in mind. Feels like it is impossible to go from admin (non school) to a school post.

Really trying to find a new job and put a lot of effort into the application forms but I don't even get an interview. Not even for posts that don't ask for experience or qualifications.

Is this just what the job market is like now!?

Look out for schools near you that are converting to academy status as they then take on more staff to do the admin work usually done by local authority.

And keep on trying, it took me four years of preparation, finding out what qualifications would be useful, getting them and being a school governor for several years (at a different un-connected school) and I finally got the job I had wanted for so long I thought it was never going to happen.

Check for adverts over the Christmas holidays too as lots of people are so busy with Christmas planning that they take a break from applying for jobs. In my case only 120 other applicants compared to 400 for last school job I had applied for!

Check individual school websites for job adverts as with cost of advertising and growth of internet job sites, lots of schools now only advertise on a few sites.
Also consider being first aid trained as this is now expected of all new admin staff in a lot of schools.

But remember the money is not good especially when you consider it's part time and term time but if like me you have no family near to help with holiday cover then the relief of not having to organise and pay for holiday childcare is fantastic. Good luck!

Laundryelf That is a good idea about academy schools - there are a few locally already. I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to send CVs in or if they would just be discarded.

Wow that took a long time then! I am not giving up yet. I wasn't sure what qualifications would be useful to a school role but first aid is something I will look into right away. I hadn't realised about Christmas adverts either so will keep an eye out.

I know the money isn't great but I am willing to take a pay cut to have a work / life balance. Thank you!

Heels and worra are right. It's taken me a year, but I finally got one and apparently this was what made my app stand out. I think they get an awful lot of apps from people with admin experience and you need something school related to differentiate yourself a little.

FWIW I didn't have any contacts where I got the job so I don't think this is essential.

I got in with no contacts.

Do they accept people as governors who have no link to the school?

Yes. You can apply to become a community governor.

The individual governing body will specify the sort of criteria they are looking for. Your LA will probably have a list of schools with vacancies, or add you to their list and circulate it to GBs with vacancies.

WorraLiberty Thank you - I will look into vacancies in the local schools. It doesn't help that I am trying to move location too!

I have had a quick google but I can't seem to find any qualifications that schools would be looking for or at least not those that I can do without volunteering in a school at least one day a week which my current employer would never approve.

If you have a University nearby keep an eye on their admin/clerical jobs too - some of them can be term time only - and they are often flexible in setting hours/days/holiday patterns. They may also allow "buying" extra days of holiday e.g. taking the holiday allowance to 39 days (possibly 44) plus bank holidays by forfeiting 10 days wages.

I work as a School Business Manager, part time and term time only. I don't deal with the parent facing side, more the back office part. I manage the finances, buildings, HR side of things and anything else that is thrown at me. I'm a qualified accountant and I volunteered at a school which helped me to get the interview. I don't have any specific qualifications that relate to schools. You do need some experience in a school environment to get your application noticed so PTA etc would help.

I didn't know anyone there before I applied. They wanted someone who could provide useful financial information that they could use to manage the school and have ideas about increasing funding (grants, bids etc) and help manage existing expenditure more effectively.

Its a great job and fits in with having a family more closely. Good luck

Wow where do you live? When I applied and got my job there were only two candidates; I think the experience required put a lot of people off. Another local school has just advertised a maternity leave cover and not got anyone suitable.

As mentioned by another poster remember you will be expected to work more hours than you are paid (I'm paid for 32 hours a week and generally work about 45). So its not always as family friendly as you might think.

I was going to suggest looking at university and college jobs too. Our universities offer a surprising variety of admin jobs.

It's definately who you know at my kids school for admin jobs/ TA jobs . they are all people with kids at the school. same with the dinner ladies/ lunchtime supervisers/ cleaners, all locals with kids/ grandkids at the school

This a good portal to search www.jobs.ac.uk/. Good luck!

Try local authority websites, all school posts are advertised there and on mine you can set up an alert to notify you of new posts.

I recently got a ter,time job in school admin and I don't know anyone.

Nor do I have children in the school

Don't wait for vacancies to be advertised. Try sending CV/letters on spec. Don't forget private schools too--even longer holidays!

I work in admin in a private school Twotallladies - the nature of the work and the way the school is used during the holidays means that I work all year round and don't get the holidays off.

Relevant training:

www.leadershiplearningcentre.com/course/view.php?id=61

Second the university admin jobs - I got into local uni last year. Overqualified for my current role as standard Clerical officer but the benefits outweigh things IMO ie closure weeks at Christmas & Easter plus 5 weeks hol, pension, sick pay enhancements, maternity package. Hoping to go back part time after maternity leave. Plenty of scope for career progression too once family reared (if I want it haha). I know it really helped my degree is from the university. Good luck!

Would schools accept CVs and keep them on file? I figured they would just expect people to apply when jobs were advertised.

Fairyliz 2 applicants?! There were over 150 for the last job I didn't get an interview for.

Can beat that - over 300 for the job I applied for that actually sent a sorry you haven't got an interview letter. I am in Yorkshire.

It is good to know that people do get the jobs without knowing people in the school.

I asked for feedback from a couple of schools on my application and one suggestion was taking a day out of work each week to volunteer at a school but my current employer gave a flat no to that idea.

I don't have a degree but do have a BTEC level 5 in management - don't know if that makes me over or under qualified!

A friend of mine landed an admin job last year (previous experience was admin in a respite care home), apparently there were over 150 applicants - because of the hours/school hols. Is it just that type of work you want or is it the term-time aspect? I have a part time job in hospital admin, hours depend on where you work in our local hospital - I work 7 hour shifts (morning/afternoon or afternoon/evening 3 days a week) but there are other ward clerks who work mornings only, and one of my colleagues does 9 - 2.30. These jobs are usually on the nhs jobs website. My previous experience was in banking, I took 9 years off with the kids, took a seasonal temp job with the council doing civil weddings/partnerships for the summer season, then got this job.

The term time thing does appeal but I would really like to work in a school environment even if it was a year round post.

I hadn't thought of hospital admin - I will see what is out there and what qualifications / experience is needed.

Admin in a care home would be good too.

When you apply for the job ask if you can visit. I realise that is difficult as you are working but does show interest in the post, separates you from applicants that are applying for "any job" and means that your face is known if you are invited for interview.

I have no special qualifications to be a ward clerk (o levels and a levels back in the 80s) - pay not great but in line with school admin I guess. I'm a ward clerk on a children's ward which is a great environment to be in. Yes, there can be hard days but the vast majority of children are in and home again soon. Pay scales are same across the country so FTE around £14k or £16k depending if it's band 2 or 3.