Wibbling - please reassure me that I can do this.

[MrsCakesPrecognition]

I've just applied for and got an interview for a job. Just what I'm looking for, but it is full time which is scaring me a bit.

I've not worked in paid employment for 6 years. I've not worked full time for 11 years.

Please reassure me that I can do this. The logistics seem almost impossible to handle; the shortfall between my (potential) annual leave and my DCs school holidays; getting them to school; finding after school childcare; managing sickness and special events at school.

Huge numbers of families cope with all this - I don't want to be a coward and back out of the application just because it looks to hard to manage logistically.

You'll be fine.
how old are your children and do you have a partner? any family?

at the very least you have to go for it for interview practice if nothing else.

My DCs are 6 and 11, both at the same primary school for the rest of the year which does simplify things a bit.
My DH will be able to do some of the holidays, but we will be relying on his wage and he often works away at short notice. My parents and ILs are only a 20 min drive away, but they are getting elderly now and probably not up to helping with holidays although they have said they can help with emergencies etc.
The interview is a whole other worry. I have to prepare a presentation in quite a specialist area. But definitely good practice. Although the last few interviews I've done have ended up with people saying what a great fit I am and then offering the jobs to someone else.

You can do this. Holidays are normally fine for your children's ages - heaps of holiday clubs, they will have a great time. Keep some of your holiday back for the ad hoc sick days and school stuff and plan childcare in advance.

Full time is a bit easier for employers to be a bit flexible on school assemblies, sports days etc as you will be bound to be able to make up time occasionally once you have proved yourself - lots of people at work will have kids.

The first job back is the hardest to find, after that you can just rely on experience.

Thank you.
I have an interview today for a different, part-time role. Hopefully will feel a bit more confident by tea time .

Employers are getting far better at being flexible. I'm part time at the moment but considering full time. Logistics is scary but someone pointed out it will be great for my future pension which hadn't even occurred to me. Dh has said to go for it and if I get it we will figure stuff out. The main thing will be that weekends will be precious. Also I do 8-4 so I can collect dc and give them dinner before it's too late. If I get the ft role I will ask to work from home one pm a week but in the evening so I can pick dc up from school once a week... No idea if they'll go for that but worth asking.

Your DH sounds like mine

Are you a planner/control freak. I am so I hate not being able to plan as I might not get the job so then it's wasted energy. So far I've established a cm would be expensive for 3dc and a nanny probably would be better but I can't find the nanny bit on mn that used to be here. It was cms, nannies and au pairs but it's gone :( would be handy right now!