Full time nvq assessor? Can I pick your brains?

[positively9something]

I have recently completed training to work as an nvq assessor, I have the assessors award and Pttls.

In my current position I could work full time as office manager 9-5 for 25k. I could even pro rata it down and do 4 full days if I wanted and have one day off (I am a single parent and feel I need a day to myself to get things done).

I have been speaking with a recruitment agency about a full time assessing position working from home and field based. The salary is 23k.

I'm just wondering roughly how much of that time is likely to be out on appointments and how much doing paper work? I'm thinking I can manage my workload as I like and consolidate my work into 4days (longer hours) and then have a day free if needed.

I would like to know how well it worked for others as I would be taking a pay cut really but this is the sector I want to get into, especially if it means I could possibly put dd in childcare 2/3 days per week instead of 5.

Hi, my experience on this is 15 years out of date, but since no one else answered...

I was working based in a firm, visiting small firms to assess nvq portfolios of owner managers. I'd say you need to be careful whether you are paid by completed portfolios because these are all beyond your control. It is maybe easier to support young people to complete portfolios than busy owner managers, and this can impact on earnings. Also I worked in rural North Wales and sometimes would turn up at a business having travelled a long way to get there, to discover the candidate had to be out of the office for something more urgent, throwing my appointments and travel into disarray.

So I think part of the issue in your question is you can try and arrange it as you like, but if you are being paid by results you end up fitting round the clients. So the best laid plans. Important to be clear and firm from the start that changing plans at the last minute loses you half a days income.

You could consider doing 4 days/week as office manager and one day/week on nvq assessment to see how it works for you? All good experience but not too much invested. I'd guess lots of the places which are advertising for full time people would take someone part time freelance.

Good luck. I really enjoyed the variety and meeting so many people in so many businesses. But I was paying childcare from my earnings and cancelled appointments really had an impact for me.

Depends what you are assessing. What sector?

Is it paper based or electronic portfolio? What Level?