To keep working part time

[Alittlenonsensenowandthen]

I'm having an end of year ponder about life/work etc and thought I'd ask the internet its thoughts!

I currently work self employed part time and get roughly £22-25k for about 16.5hrs a week. My hourly rate is good but my available working working hours are limited so I'm at my maximum annual salary.

So...here's the dilemma...in a few years when my kids are grown and flown do I try and get a 'normal' job.

Advantages would be employee interaction, potential to earn more, pension (I do pay into a self employed one but it's feeble), sick pay/holiday pay and not having to take the burden of running my own business.

However my field is in education so unless I retrain I'd be limited in what job I could do. If I got into a school via a pgce (I don't have one) I'd probably start off on not dissimilar salary for more stress and more hours. and the reality is, I do like my current field of work.

So wise mumsnetters would you
A) stay in a capped salary profession but enjoy the freedom of working part time and accept a lower disposable income. (Aibu)
B) consider retraining or looking to another career path with better prospects to give me security later in life. (Ianbu)

I’ve voted A) with the idea that you could pick up additional hours doing something else to supplement your income (if that’s possible around the current job that you enjoy).

I don't understand why you can't do more freelance hours and earn more?

Yes I face this problem. Basically, I keep with the part time job. It's easy, well paid and I get respect.
And I formed a life in my free time, so that I value all my time. It feels funny, as my family tradition is to get out as quickly as possible and move on. Nope I will stay, enjoy and make every day special

Part time work is great for the soul, and enjoying what you do is priceless.

If the money isn't enough, could you do some sort of side hustle? Creating content, or training others?

I would try to get an additional part time role.

I'm a private kids tutor so only have 3.30-6.30/7pm to teach them.

If you can afford it stay as you are.
Time is more important than money.
I have only ever worked part time since having children, l live a simple but happier way of life. One of my children is home educated and it opened up a whole new world for both of us. Money can never replace life experience, and sadly there is no guarantee of growing old, l have lost so many people around me at a young age, it wakes you up to the real meaning of life.

Can you get work in a private school without a PGCE?

Do not underestimate the importance of a pension. I'd be doing everything to ensure that it maximises.

Being broke and elderly is awful.

It takes a particular personality, but if you have SEND experience or think you could work well with children with additional needs, there are plenty of children who aren't in school...

Think that's my biggest concern. Things were too tight financially when my kids were babies so even though I worked I didn't pay into a pension. It was also around the time of he private pension scandal so I was scared too. I've started now but I'm in my 40s. Ultimately my 'pension' is my house which I plan to sell when I retire. But I also don't really plan to fully retire if I'm in good health.

The ideal would be to get a job with proper benefits, maybe full time for a while but then part time.

I'd develop skills in a related area eg designing and building online learning then you can either freelance or apply for HR/L&D roles - not all education roles are in schools

Could you do a second job in addition to the tutoring? Another part time job or self employed work 3 days a week in the morning/early afternoon would increase your income significantly and still leave a good work life balance.

On the matter of pensions, there's really no need to be scared. You just need to start putting money away into a SIPP. It's all protected and while it will be subject to market fluctuations, it should grow faster than cash over time and you'll get added tax relief.

This has definitely been on my radar. I'm in the arts and there are art therapy m.a which would allow me to work with send kids which I've done in a non qualified capacity and enjoyed previously. I also homeschooled my kids for a while so experience there but I live in a small rural town so limited opportunities.

@Alittlenonsensenowandthen I wouldnt pack in the business!! many teachers are being made redundant and the one coming out of college cannot get jobs. You have a job with good money for the hours you do. working for an employer is not all it is hacked out to be especially as a teacher.

I did wonder if you were a tutor after I wrote that! Could you look to tutor home school children to add in additional hours?

I know there are lots of children educated outside of school who need regular or occasional tutoring. A friend works full time as this, but I think there are also part time roles. You could also contact local home Ed groups for daytime work.

Following with interest. I'd always assumed that I'd move back into a full time employed job when my kids left home, but now my youngest is 16 and I've been self employed for 20 years I wonder if I'd ever be able to transition back to being told what to do!!

You don’t need to stop doing the tutoring, you can find a part time role which fits in with your tutoring hours. It doesn’t even need to be in the same field. I do this and the jobs I do are very different indeed! The ‘main’ regular part time job is the one I’m trained for and pays the most money and I top it up with 2 casual jobs in other fields I’m interested in. Keeps life interesting and varied and helps pay the bills.

I do a similar job and work in schools during the day as a specialist in my subject - you don't need a qts for this. It's cheaper for schools to pay me for a few hours than a supply or part time teacher and the children get confidently planned lessons, I do 4 days across 3 schools and then 2 evenings privately at home.

Can I ask how you got into it? Do you offer workshop type things?

If hou know your way around school and local authority paperwork, could you set up a side business assisting with appeals etc?

Not that I know anything on the subject. Just thinking out loud, really.

I just approached the schools, initially by email to the Head and the subject lead if I knew it, detailing the services I could provide and the potential benefits and cost savings, my subject often attracts private tuition too (musical instruments) so that can provide a good 'in' - the school provide a room and the parents pay, once you have a foot in the door then progressing to other areas of the school is easier. Do your research on costs for what you provide- subject Unions can be good for pricing for your area so have a look at a few of their websites, for example the musicians union if you are a musician.
Fingers crossed you're not in my area or I will have some more competition!

Oh and I don't offer workshops although I did look into it but decided it wasn't for me.
Some schools use me as cover and others have the teachers attend lessons as part of their cpd.