Are there well paid p/t jobs available that fit with school hours?

[honkytonk]

Hello! Mumsnet Jobs team here. We've noticed this thread is fairly old now, and some of the information is out of date. We've put together this article of advice, tips and tricks to finding a job that will allow you to work within school hours. We hope it's helpful!

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I am wondering if I will ever be able to return to work in any paid capacity and if so how. Like many folk on here I have children (5 and 2) and I want to work. However, I also want to be able to collect DC from school too. Is this unrealistic? I am aware that DC 2 will need more childcare if I return to work but I am wondering how people manage.

I have an MA and BSC as well as a qualification in Social Work but I cannot see how I will ever get back to paid employment. Am I being unrealistic? I have applied for a couple of casual posts after having had discussions with team managers before hand and I wonder whether I have put them off when confessing (like its a crime!) to having young children!

As there is no one else to pick up the childcare I would need to used Paid care (childminder, nanny etc) but I do wonder whether all this effort and cost ultimately outweighs the benefits associated with working?

Sorry for the moan but wonder how others have managed this dilemma etc?

How much would you consider to be 'well paid' ? Just interested because I'm happy with my wages but others may think they're not much!

I am a solicitor from 8.30 til 2.30 so only use child care in the mornings.

I work as a freelance consultant so dictate my own hours and choose contracts based on how they fit around my/my family's needs.

Don't know what your field is but is that an option for you?

I found a great part time job, within three weeks of youngest dc starting school. I work 20 hours a week, and can fit them in around the school day (so I do 4 days 9.30 - 2.30); we manage the holidays using holiday clubs/granny/days off etc.

Like you, I didn't think such jobs existed, but the best source of such employment turned out to be the "school gate". The job was mentioned by a friend of a friend; I phoned up and started there three days later. Similarly another friend heard about her part time job the same way. So put the word out.

Am I well paid? Not particularly, considering I have an Oxford degree. But it's a great job, lovely company, lots of responsibility and huge flexibility, so I can be a mum too, and need no term-time childcare. The perfect work-life balance.

Wow, so jobs do exist. I suppose pre kids I was earning £28,000 full time.

The difficulty at the moment I guess is youngest is only 2 and just doing two mornings at preschool.

I am qualified as a Social worker but many of these people skills are transferable across other fields too.

I guess I have to ensure that my CV shows the flexibility of these skills.

Friend is a SW who moved from children to elderly after children. She works half time and with flexi time can take the kids to school almost every day. She also only works 5 mins from the school.

There are a number of options.

There is part-time work or school term-time work, the two are not mutually exclusive but if you want both of those the only options are MDS or part-time TA (in a v local school) or running yr own business.

I work in a school which means I have holidays off, but now I never drop off or pick up.

In my previous role I started work v early (DH started late) and finished early so between us we fitted round school hours. We were both journalists, as we had been for years; I always worked and thus was able to negotiate flexible hours.

School hols were another matter.

If you really want to earn £££ then your own business might be ideal; this could be Phoenix or Usborne or maybe something you are skilled at on a consultancy basis - a friend runs her own mortgage advice business, another does high-powered training. You just need to find th edemand. HTH.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I have worked my whole qualified SW life with adults and with recent changes and caseloads wonder how this would work with children.

It is great to hear others experiences.

Civil service gives 6 weeks holiday and option of unpaid leave for some posts, so a part-time job might be OK, especially with flexitime? Lots of my colleagues collect kids from school a couple days a week, or work 7-3, etc.

Although there's a recruitment freeze atm so not many jobs unless you have specialist skills.

As a general rule, you're more likely to find that p/ t school hours only jobs won't pay much. So it's a case of weighing up whether you want convenience, but not great pay and possibly not much stimulation, or whether you want work which pays better where you need to use childcare. Don't be scared off by the thought of using a childminder/ nursery- as long as you find good quality care your children will thrive. There are exceptions to this rule, as others have pointed out, but generally it'll be tough finding something well paid and interesting if you only want to work around school hours. In answer to the question 'is it worth it' the answer is a very definite yes. If you need to use childcare, look to the long term- once both kids are in school, you're talking the bulk of the day with no childcare costs. Also, think about your pension - there are a lot more benefits to working than the cash you're getting right now

if you are a qualified SW then I'm sure that you'll be in profit working, despite using after school and holiday childcare.

I am in a specialist SW/NHS post, and work 18hrs/wk. However, I work this in 2.5 days, as I would not be anywhere near as efficient in 5 half days.

I have always applied for ft posts, and requested pt at interview. Interviewers have always been fine with this.

Women Like Us has the right idea, about aggregating and pushing out information on part time work and job-shares. If you don't live in Greater London, but are in a metropolitan area, in which people do commute, you could start something else similar (that is: start your own business!).

These replies are so great to hear and I am wondering whether to approach my old team manager and see whether there are any jobs coming up.

I guess I am torn at the moment until waiting until DC2 who is 2 goes to school or seeing if I can get a job before all the public sector redundancies etc take hold!! I guess it is between looking at the short and longer term options.

you also need to consider GSCC registration. not sure how long you've been out of the workplace, but you need to demonstrate 15days training/development/study in each 3 year registration period. Much easier to do if you're in paid employment.

Ours are mainly internal although some posts are going to external so you may get lucky.

Agency might be worth a shot too as my friend seems to be able to pick & choose hours/work/pay

I think these p/t jobs that fit school hours too are bloody hard to find. Or at least I'm finding it extremely hard to find any p/t job, let alone one that fits around my DS's schedule... :(

6 years ago I was also looking for p/t work (in the same industry) & found one fairly quickly, good conditions & pay too. This time round it's proving impossible so far. Difficult times at the moment, for those looking for p/t work...

Thanks for replies.

I havemanaged to keep up GSCC registration by a variety of courses I have completed since being a SAHM.

I am keen to try and find something now before the full effects of the recession take hold.

I am also a SW and work 9-3 every day ...meaning I can do both the school runs as I am lucky enough to work a couple of miles from the school. I work with CIC though and don't have much of a clue about adult work. Many many people work part time within our London Borough ...and with the SW degree so many other opportunities are open to you.

I had to work a 3-6 shift for a year with a nursery school and prove i had what they needed and couldnt live without. That year was hard for me and my DCs BUT in July i was offered term time only 9:30-2:30 4 days a week and they basically pay me over the 12 months so i get paid every month. Its not great money but is more than minimum wage and i love my job!

I do 20 hours (9am-2pm 4 days a week). School is 8.45am-3pm and I work about 12 mins drive away.
It couldn't be more ideal, in the holidays my boss is flexible about when I do my hours (this week have worked 3 full days and had 2 days off).
But, I have been with them for 10 years, I proved myself before I had children etc.
I think I would find it very hard to find a similar job/conditions to move to.