To think if you want to work pt you may as well burn your qualifications

[Metoodear]

Having a chat with dh in the car that whatever field your in barr social work and nurseing as a women if you want to go full time

You may as well bun your qualifications because your pretty much going to be unable to find somthing with out taking a demontion or to get the summer off

I have friends who have degrees in mandarin,physiology I had a friend who worked as a high flyer Manger who had to resign as they wouldn’t allow PT work none of my friends work in their degree field because they can’t get the work pt

I myself have had to turn two jobs down one paying 25k and the other paying 28k because they wouldn’t allow PT work

I now earn 700 per month and work 3 days a week

I have found it easy to get PT work in banking, teaching, and high profile multi national business.

If I had a highly valued team member who asked for some flexibility - to change hours or work part time, I would do my utmost to accommodate them. I have done this many times. I have part time team members and have adjusted someone's hours to term time only rather than lose them.

A less valued team member - not so much....

I work in financial services and we absolutely have plenty of women working part time without it affecting their career, and many people in very senior positions too. Things have come a long way I think, but obviously it's not consistent across all industries.

I found it difficult when I first returned to work after my first maternity leave, but since then I’ve managed to be promoted twice and now I earn 28k fte (which isn’t loads I know but it’s better than before) I work 3 days a week. I think it depends on luck tbh because I ended up in a different department after my first maternity leave and upskilled that way.

I haven’t worked full time for about 15 years. I currently work 4 days a week in a senior management role on a high salary

I work in a professional board level role (HR) and could work part time if I wanted to (I don't). IME the mid-level management roles would be the most difficult to make work on a part time basis- there are lots of PT admin and HRD level roles but less so for business partner/manager roles.

Yes very true for me. Took a significant demotion / pay cut to go pt and now I’m penalised for not producing as much as the ft staff in a full working week 🤷🏼‍♀️

Just to add - I think having ds 16 years ago cost me 7 years of career progression (always worked full time), and that too is very different now.

I’m looking for a way out of my job because I’m not allowed to go part time or any form of reduced hours. I’m a senior leader in a school. Part time teachers, yes, but no part time for those of us who have progressed further in leadership.

I'm with you. There needs to be more jobs that work around school hours and term time.

I've worked in the university sector for donkeys years. Part time for the last 20. Have been promoted four times whilst part time and now earn pro-rats £65k. So no, you're not correct OP.

It’s a very British thing to want to work part time

Pretty sure I've read articles about it being a thing in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden too..

I work four days in a senior position. However like super loud I have a 20hr post I simply can't fill!

Who are you to say she's not correct! It's not right for everyone but it depends on the job. Easy to get part time imo if in flexible industry and already work full-time but much harder to find good part-time vacancies

almost all the women i know with kids work pt. i work 2 days pw in the nhs, highly qualified, and thank my lucky stars

Guess it depends what your qualified in.

I work in the same field as my degree and went to PT after having DD

It's not 'a very British thing' to work or want to work part time. And besides, so what if it is? OP is probably living in the UK. My SIL works part time in Singapore, I've worked part time in Poland, my MIL worked part time in the US until last year. What is it with the disparaging 'it's a very British thing' that gets rolled out so often on Mumsnet?

I think workplace cultures are changing and this is thankfully becoming more acceptable. I'm a professional and I work part time, but it took me quite a while to get to the stage where I had the confidence to say 'I have the skills you need, now here is the working pattern I need'.

Holyguacamoley

To be honest what I have from this is people staring off full time then going part time but wonder how many people got a PT stright off the bat

Pretty sure I've read articles about it being a thing in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden too..

Denmark tends to have a shorter working week to start with and more annual leave.

A 35 hour week with a short commute and preferably an employer who allows flexible working leaves plenty of room for family life.

I've never worked anywhere where 35 hours was a full time week, public or private sector.

I got part time off the bat after 2 1/2 years off (had two with an 18m age gap); I was very very lucky really although I do have quite a specialised job and the company were willing to employ me on whatever terms I wanted! I now work 30 hours a week over 5 days (3 from home, 2 in the office) and am on £39k. More companies should be like the one I work for, flexible working works both ways - they’re flexible with me so I’m also flexible, quite often working evenings if I’m working with US companies etc - if they weren’t as flexible I wouldn’t be either!!

how many people got a PT stright off the bat
I did! My job was advertised as full time but I negotiated down to 3 days a week at interview.

I use both my BSc and MSc and I work 3 days a week in the pharmaceutical sector. I was full time but went to pt after DD1. We recruit full and part time so although I was there before having children I could find a job in the same industry relatively easily. My salary hasn't suffered either it's pro rata but I've had several pay rises while part time too. We also are able to WFH if senior enough. I am but choose to be in the office as I like the company however it can mean if either DC is poorly I can make up my hours and not need to take holiday.

I work in the public sector. My job requires an MSc or MEng. I did it full time before I had children, then 3 days a week, now 4. Generous annual leave allowance and flexi time are very family friendly.

I’m a fairly senior manager in the NHS. I have worked full time, part time (3 days), part time (4 days) and I now currently do term time working which means I get all of the school holidays off. It hasn’t done me any harm and I am hoping for a promotion soon.

Those that have the ability to return to your full time (permanent) job as p/t when you return from mat leave, are usually fine and generally the industry/company can then boast about family-friendly policies.
Other than that, there’s no decent part time jobs advertised. Plus, in my industry which is mainly freelance or contract work, if you don’t return full time you won’t get the work; the younger, child-free version of yourself gets it.