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Original poster

Part-time and perfect: does this job actually exist?

17 replies

VivMac · 09/04/2014 10:46

Has anyone found the perfect part time job? Not one that is a full time job squished into less time than it actually takes, and not a full time job whittled away so only the drudgey core remains - but a properly paid, interesting role that lets you really make a positive difference to an organisation while keeping time for your family? I'm not finding one, yet...Hmm

OP posts:
starfishmummy · 09/04/2014 11:05

No

JRsandCoffee · 09/04/2014 14:57

Tricky, I have a part time job that is sometimes interesting and at other times a bit dull. But, its a reasonable amount of money in, its local and I'm out of the house and I also get plenty of time with DD while she in turn gets plenty of time with other children at nursery, which she loves. However, I'd like it to be more interesting and better paid but while more interesting has appeared a few times over the last year (mid size regional town) it has been less well paid and less convenient each time so not worth moving. Hope that helps, hang in there, they do exist, just wait..... Incidentally the jobs I've seen that looked interesting were mostly with charities, so might be worth looking at that a sector.

tostaky · 09/04/2014 15:41

I have a friend who works 1.5 days a week as a GP not far from where she lives so yes it exists.... but I have not found mine yer....

MagnaCharge · 09/04/2014 15:48

Ask me in September but I am returning to being a TA and at the moment it is as perfect as I can get. Part time term time only, really rewarding but money isn't great and I can't go to my own children's school events.

maggiethemagpie · 09/04/2014 20:37

I've just started one that seems to be pretty perfect - three days per week, home based with travel (not too far away though) and fairly decent money. Problem is it's so perfect it's actually someone else's job - they're going on mat leave so I'm covering it for a year, then I will have to hand it back. I guess truly perfect jobs don't become vacant very often.

scarlettsmummy2 · 09/04/2014 20:41

Yes! I am a project manager for a charity running an employability programme! 28 hours a week to fit in the school run, plus can work from home so can leave early for school things and make the time up in the evening, or days husband is off. Plus it is a challenging and interesting job.

Hoppinggreen · 09/04/2014 21:52

Yes but I had to start my own business to find if!

gamerchick · 09/04/2014 21:58

Yep, I had one. Part time over a weekend (ringfenced weekend) for a blissfull 1 1/2 years.

Then I experienced TUPE for the first time.. what a head fuck that was. I've never ran screaming from a new boss ever in my working life Hmm

I fucking LOVED that job Angry

webwiz · 09/04/2014 22:16

I work three days a week for a charity. Its interesting and challenging and I have a huge flexibility to plan my own work. Everyone is part time and there is an expectation that you leave work behind when you walk through the door so you can recharge properly. I feel very lucky.

Original poster
VivMac · 10/04/2014 11:07

It's looking like the charity sector has the best opportunities - too late for me to become a GP!! I do have my own business, but it's flexible enough to fit round something else, something with PEOPLE... not just CandyCrush and the dishwasher Smile

OP posts:
scarlettsmummy2 · 10/04/2014 17:42

Goodmoves jobs is a good website for charity sector jobs.

webwiz · 10/04/2014 19:21

I got my job because I had experience as a volunteer. Maybe you could start with some volunteering first OP and then you'd have an idea what sort of charity you would want to be involved in.

Flibbertyjibbet · 10/04/2014 19:31

Yes I just got one.

I was self employed which was pretty perfect hours but unpredictable income. So this year I wound that down and started looking for a 'proper' job, dreading the full time 9-5 and £600 a month for wraparound care for 2 primary school age children.

I emailed a few of the longer-term ex clients asking if I could use them as referees on job applications. Two of them got back to me saying 'come and work for us'. The one I'm going to is giving me a lot of variety, responsibility and scope to do the job and grow it as I want, with pay review after 6 months. Pay not fantastic, but for 9.30 till 3, 4 days a week, with potential for more hours/pay later on, yes I'd say its pretty much a perfect job.

Unfortunately I got this by already being known by the people. Most of my friends in part time or flexible working jobs were already at the workplace or known to the employer before taking the job. They aren't something that get advertised very often. Perhaps try writing on spec to smaller companies who don't need and can't afford a full timer, but have all the same kind of work, just less of it, than at a larger company.

Original poster
VivMac · 10/04/2014 23:20

sounds a lovely job - best luck, and some good advice too Smile

OP posts:
blueshoes · 11/04/2014 00:20

I had the perfect pt well-paid job but it no longer exists, lol. That is the risk with perfect pt jobs.

typedup · 11/04/2014 14:40

Well I love my school admin job, but it would not be well-paid or whizzy enough for many.

HolidayCriminal · 15/04/2014 09:45

I do research in a university & I think it ticks OP's boxes. Plenty of the admin staff could say similar, perhaps. And I was telling our cleaner how much I appreciate her, anyway. So all kinds of potential PT roles.

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