When to ask about part time?

[zerozerooneone]

Sorry I'm not sure if this is in the correct section but I posted in chat and didn't get any replies.

I'm currently looking for a new job. It's in a predominantly male industry. I work 3 days a week now and ideally would like to continue this for the next couple of years until youngest goes to school.

Jobs are never advertised as part time, always full time but are frequently done by part time employees. My own job is an example of this.
At what point of the application / interview process should I ask about part time possibilities? I don't want to prejudice them against me from the beginning but neither do I want to waste anyone's time by waiting until the very last minute if I should have asked sooner.

IME if a job is potentially part time they will advertise it as such.

That is not generally the case in this industry unfortunately. They are often willing to discuss options but rarely advertise as a part time opportunity.
My present company has numerous part time employees across the country but would never actually advertise a part time role. I don't know why, they just don't.

Well in that case I would suggest you ask in advance whether part time is an option. Otherwise you are potentially wasting everyone's time.

I think you can ask about general working patterns at interview which will give you an idea of how viable part time/job share is

At interview is the best time. In the sector I work in (education) jobs are frequent not advertised specifically as part time but then one or even two if we are lucky part time candidates are appointed.

When they ask if you have any questions just tell them you are part time currently and wild like to remain part time for a few more years and is this feasible.

You need to weight up how much you want a new job compared to part time as there is more chance of a new job if you are will to working hours than just 3 days a week.

If you don't ask you won't get!

It depends on the sector. I work in IT - jobs are never advertised part time, but there are many part time workers!
I personally think you need to wait until you get offered the job to ask - anecdotally, asking at interview seems to put off recruiters. On the other hand, I think it's ok to ask about flexible working at the interview.

Are you absolutely wedded to part time only? Would you consider (as many people do) coming in full time (perhaps on a flexible working arrangement) and then requesting part time once you've got a proven track record? That seems to be the most normal method to get a part time job.

Not sure if this is relevant but maybe someone has had a similar situation.
Before I found out I was pregnant I was working two part time jobs; one in which I was qualified in but only had part time available, the other an office admin job just to help boost my wage.
I found out I was pregnant and suffered from severe, debilitating morning sickness for almost 9weeks, it's only just started to ease now at 17 weeks. I was forced to give up my job which I was qualified in as it was quite physically demanding and I just didn't have the energy to do it. My second place of work then decided they no longer wanted part time workers, but I was still feeling ill so couldn't commit to full time hours.
I now find myself unemployed. I waitressed for 5 years whilst at uni, I'm hoping to go back part time but nowhere seems to want to get back to me. It's really playing on my mind and getting me down, I've always worked and almost feel embarrassed finding myself in this situation. I'm so lucky to have such a supportive partner but I want my independence back!

Ideally I'd only be part time for a couple more years until my youngest is in school. I'm not as bothered after that.
This job is a step up that I might be under qualified for so I may send a cv initially and decide what to do if they take it further

You know your own industry but as a recruiter in mine I would feel that my time had been monumentally wasted if a candidate turned up at interview for a job advertised as full time and said they could only work part time. If we were prepared to consider part time ( and indeed some positions are created as PT because we don’t have internal funding for a full-time salary) then we’d say so in the job spec. Seriously, I can’t overstate how annoying it would be.

On my industry the reason that there are few part time jobs advertised but quite a lot of people working part time is that people change their hours after they’ve been in the job a while, because their personal circumstances or the business’ needs change and by that point the employer has invested in them and values them enough to be flexible.

Should clarify, I am not a recruitment consultant, just someone who does recruitment interviews in my own organisation from time to time.

I would phone up before you submit an application and enquire. You won't need to give your details so they'll never know it's you asking.

IMO its bad form to go for a full time job and ask from the outset to work part time. It effectively means they have to find another person in your situation who would like to do the hours you don't fancy doing. Part timers usually either go for jobs advertised as part time or initially start full time and then reduce their hours if that becomes possible.

OP has made it quite clear that it's common in her industry for roles that aren't advertised as part time to still be given as such. So this isn't a question of whether it's bad form to ask, how you as a person working in your industry would see it etc- we've already established that it's fine in hers. The question appears to be when to do it, not whether to do it.

I've had better results making it clear early on OP, but again your industry might differ. How niche is it and how much competition is there likely to be? I have had times when I've emailed saying my max no of hours, and they get back to me later on when they can't get anyone to do more.

I'd discuss it in the interview. I recruit a lot, and I'd be impressed with someone who had a clear plan about when they could work, what it might mean for he business, and how they'd managed before (if applicable).

It might not be easy to give you the job part time, but you never know- perhaps they like the idea of getting your skills for less money, or they have someone else asking the same thing that you could team up with.

With would irritate me is not hearing about it until we offered you a job. I'd feel like you hadn't been up front, and not given us sufficient time to think of ways around it.

Thanks all for the replies. I'm still wobbling over what to do but leaning a bit more towards making a call before I go any further.

I was interviewing all day today and someone raised it but had called to discuss previously and so it was far easier to deal with.

Do you know anyone who works PT in your industry to ask them what stage they asked about it?