AIBU to apply for a job below my qualifications?

[sortingmyselfoutslowly]

Would you apply for a job way below your qualifications (eg requires GCSES and you are a postgraduate) because, on balance, it fits in better with family life - school runs etc? Even if it meant working more hours?

AIBU to have a dilemma our this as I like bwing a professional and enjoy my job but part time opportunities close to where I live are non existent?

The job I'm looking at pays the same as I earn now but school hours only over 5 days and term time only. I currently teach so do get the holidays off.

Yanbu but I have also applied for jobs that I an overqualified for and not got interviews

TA pay obviously can be terrible... but equally, especially if you can get a HLTA role, I'm not sure it's a lower hourly rate than you'd get as a teacher.

Obviously if OP is going from a 45k SLT role to 10k TA1 that's going to sting. But if the difference was 30k to 19k TA3 or 4, and you factor in potentially the need for less childcare too because less prep work to be done outside school hours, some people might not be much worse off.

YANBU if this is what's best for you and your family.

But it is beyond depressing that it's always women who end up doing this. That work life makes no concessions to family life and it's always the women who have to make the compromise.

I have done this (not in teaching). I enjoy being nearer to home, being there for my kids after school, having no stress. Things I don’t enjoy are having to work almost double the amount of hours for the same amount of pay, lack of status, self-worth, and knowing that my career is over. Oh and the way other people treat me is different now, employers aren’t as nice and I am
more invisible to some people.

Have just done this. Took a 50% pay cut but have saved my sanity not having to commute an hour each way on the tube to work.

To work locally the jobs were low paid but I found that explaining my situation to recruitment consultants was the first time they had worked in my favour. Explained that I'd had enough of line managing people and my main priorities were my family and that I needed a job that I could enjoy and do well at while in the office. But once I left the office the work stayed there. They understood that and found me somewhere very quickly.

I'm loving it. Hours are better, it's a 10 minute drive, it's a tiny company, it's fun and everyone is working for a common goal. Yes, it's "only" admin but I work 10x harder in this role because the work is so constant as opposed to waiting for reports, having meetings, being on conference call. Works for us. Although, had I not taken redundancy I probably would have stayed.

At the moment I work 2 days teaching. The job I'm considering is 24 hours a week all in school hours. I'd be doing all school runs myself so no need for a childminder. Overall I'd take home the same money.

I did. I was a teacher. I left and did a few years in a different type of education but then returned to schools. I now work as an HLTA. I earn FAR less than I did as a teacher. I still teach and do my own planning, etc and I still have work to do at home or after school. I am a subject leader. But I do have less of the admin side, and somewhat less of the stresses of being an actual teacher. But the pay drop accounts for this. However, I enjoy the job, I love teaching, I love working with the children (different age range from when I was an actual teacher) and I've kind of made the job my own over the past few years. Fortunately we were in a financial position as a family to allow me to make the change.

Yanbu I did this a few years ago - from professional role to charity sector. Many others working in an equivalent role are also massively overqualified but the lower stress, better hours, family friendly policies etc appeal. I was asked at interview if I knew what the salary was and was I prepared for that! (Dropped £10k). I am much much happier, it works around family which is my priority at the moment, and still relevant to my profession so I can always return once kids are older.

Yes, I think it's quite normal. I know several highly qualified women who apply for (and usually get) primary school admin/office jobs because it fits with their life at that moment.

Honestly just apply and hope for an interview. You could sit here debating and not even hear back. It's clear you want the job. Go for it and get a job offer then decide if you really want it !

Goood luck , hope it works out !

Yes. When I had just finished a MA I was applying for lots of jobs, including one which didn't need any qualifications at all. Any job is better than the dole. Your situation is a bit different but why not apply for a job you want, are capable of and which would fit well with your life?

I am significantly 'overqualified' for my job. Now that I think about it, so is everyone else in my team. I think a lot of people breaking their backs in high paying, but stressful and utlimately unfulfilling jobs eventually come to the conclusion that life's too short.

The money isn't great but I don't care as I find the work enjoyable and intellectually stimulating, it's very low stress compared to my previous professional roles and working 4 days a week term time only with a 15 minute commute gives me a good work life balance.

Just come up with with good reasons why you want job I have often been told over qualifications and they don't believe me when I explain why I want job which is down to putting dc first and working round them.

lostmy Really inspiring. I am in this situation, yet another teacher.

I actually know lots of teachers working in schools now in non-teaching roles.

They are generally working as TAs though and working 8.45-3.15 for shockingly low money and the heads can’t believe their luck at the calibre and conscientiousness of their ‘support’ staff.

Shit that teachers hate teaching so much that they have to do this to maintain some form work/life balance though. It’s sacrificing their experience, pay, career, pension etc etc

I say that as a teacher who is working p/t and doesn’t see any way of ever returning full time without having a total breakdown.

I now work as an HLTA. I earn FAR less than I did as a teacher. I still teach and do my own planning, etc and I still have work to do at home or after school. I am a subject leader

Which bits of teaching don’t you now do as an HLTA?

We have two HLTAs at my school who are both now used as supply cover for absences as we can’t afford supply teachers. The HLTAs used to do PPA but that’s done by any TAs who will agree now.

Another ex teacher. So much for teaching being family friendly. I know so many who have nt managed to move to other professional roles and end up in low paid work. I keep feeling I'm underqualified for the admin roles and havent found something im both qualified for and able to do! Why was it so much easier young and inexperienced. I'm considering carework I did at 16....

Go for it.

And I am yet another teacher looking for a way out. Returning to work after mat leave and just can't see how I'll cope with the workload. Am considering a couple of different directions. School admin is looking likely.

Id say go for what fits your family OP but keep longer term career in the back of your mind so you can take advantage of any upskilling that's in offer along the way.

I'm going to apply
Thank you for all your thoughts. Feeling a bit lost and at a crossroads now, unsure what I should be doing... I need to just see what happens and keep looking for other options too as they come up.

Good luck!

Appuskido - I don't have to do parents evening and I don't have to do full reports. I do give reports for my subject. I don't have to do pupil progress meetings and fill in tracker sheets. Half my time I teach the same subject, which I do plan and assess, etc. And I plan for other teachers too. The other cover I do, I follow the plans from that class/year group. I do the same subject leadership as the teachers. I also have my own PPA time.

If you really want to go for this, perhaps take the additional qualifications off your CV, stop them thinking you're overqualified.

I've just done this. Waiting to start at the end of the week in an easy admin job. It suits for childcare, should be low stress and will do for a bit.

Money isn't actually all that bad but I could be earning a lot more. I just don't fancy the stress, extra travel and missing out on family life in the type of job I'm more suited to.

Nothing's forever so my plan is to do what suits and look to change in the future.

I did this. I have a first class BEng and a PhD from a RG uni. Until I had my DCs and gave up work, I worked in a demanding professional role. I now work as a TA - a role I am way overqualified for. I won’t do it forever but for now it fits well around my DCs.

I'm doing it right now! Work in a school, non-teaching. They wanted a NVQ level for the position, but my qualifications mean that I will create a programme that is above their expectation. It's stimulating for me because I am writing a new curriculum and doing some training in addition to the expected bits of the job, good for them because they're getting a professionally qualified person for a very low salary!
It's a mile from my house, term time only, and school hours, so it fits perfectly with family life. It's also great experience for me when I want to move on, which my manager fully expects I will do in a few years when this is off the ground.