Advice Please! Rock and a Hard Place!

[dragonflyflew]

Hi, v, v long story but I'm in a tricky place and have reached a crossroads, would really appreciate some advice.
I'm a single mum working two minimum wage jobs.
I have no support from family and use a childminder before and after school and holidays.
My exh works shifts so I'm really in need of office hours Monday to Friday jobs.

I left a reasonably well paid permanent job (been there ten years) as many things changed and it was becoming difficult to juggle new hours and premises with childcare, lack of transport etc. But I stayed as well paid and I could do it well.

I was offered another job, out of the blue, much closer to home, slightly less pay but school hours and it seemed a dream come true, I took it despite some misgivings about leaving a 'safe' job.

Fast forward three months and I was instantly dismissed, they asked me to go full time and I couldn't, due to childcare and health reasons.

I'm pretty sure it was because of my disability but no proof, am awaiting tribunal hearing later in the year which has all been very stressful and taken its toll on my physical and mental health.

As soon as I got sacked I found another casual temp job which has continued but only one day a week and whilst there secured another part time charity job.

I love the charity job but I'm being squeezed hard there in terms of hours, evenings and weekends I didn't sign up for and a huge lot of responsibility for minimum wage.
The charity job is a brilliant opportunity with lovely people in a sought after field and a really cool venue but I'm struggling to juggle everything and fit in the extra stuff.
I've chatted to my boss in the charity and he's offered some flexibility but it doesn't really ease any of my load.

The casual job is in a very not sought after field, does not have a great reputation in terms of job desirability, can be very stressful but is manageable. The hours are far more conducive to my family situation.

The casual job has a possibility of becoming four days a week.
I'm currently working four days over two jobs.
The money wouldn't change but it'd be less juggling.

I'm in a quandary...
I've been in casual job since Feb.
Charity job started in May.
My sacked job was November to February.

My CV looks shit since November.
I'm considering leaving charity job for casual job.
Will be pressure in casual job but of a different kind. More breaks and holiday (not much) in casual job.
I'm still going to job hunt to try and get better salary again as struggling a lot now despite tax credits.

So, my main question, would you leave lovely cool job for shitty job just for the fact it's one job over two and less evenings and weekends?

Also... CV, would you miss any of the jobsoff your CV in order to jobsearch more effectively?
I've never not got a job I've applied for until now. I'm not even securing interviews for jobs I'd have previously walked into.
I'm sure it's because of my choppy CV but I know it's also not good to lie on CV...
Really stuck, stressed and confused.
Any advice gratefully received.
I'm on my own and nobody to talk things through with.

Hi OP, don't want you to have no answers although I can't pretend to vast wisdom in this area, sounds tough.

It sounds like neither job is really ideal at the moment, the casual job sort of pays the bills but isn't in the right field and the charity job is interesting/challenging but perhaps not right for your family circumstances right now? Is that right?

I think if it was me, if taking the extra hours in the casual job made things much better financially then I would do it, but otherwise I would stick as I was, and look for a new job that ticks more boxes. It sounds as though the charity job is giving you lots of good skills/experience for the CV so it would be a shame to give that up and also it's easier to get a new job if you are already working in something related. Yes you might face some difficult questions about the last year but the worst that can happen is that someone doesn't hire you. I am sure there is someone out there who will though!

In terms of what I would put on the CV, it depends a bit on norms in your industry and who you are likely to need a reference from, but I would probably leave off the full details of both the sacked job and casual job (assuming the latter is something pretty much irrelevant, e.g. waitressing when you are looking for admin work) and simply put something like

-xxx - Nov 17 : old job
-Nov 17-May 18: job seeking and a variety of casual/temporary work.

-May 18 - present: charity job

You might get asked to explain more at interview and then you will need to give a good explanation for why you left the job you had before the sacked one and what you were doing in the intervening 6 months, but cross that bridge when you come to it!

All the best, fingers crossed for you.

Hi maxelly thank you so much for responding.
Neither job I'm in is my chosen career field., When I took the original job change in Nov (where I was sacked From) I made a career change (using transferable skills) for the sake of the location, hours and pay.

The two jobs I'm in now are the same job type as the sacking job but all three are completely unrelated fields. It's just because it's a job you can do anywhere in pretty any company and easy to transfer the skills plus gain more in each role.
So the charity job is not necessarily in a field I want to remain in but it's an area I love and in some ways related to previous long-term career but very much indirectly.

Both the jobs I have now are minimum wage and taking the four day job wouldn't be any different financially. It's more to relieve some burden and stress more than anything else.

Phew, it's too complex for my overloaded brain right now!

Arrgh! Am in the charity job today, so much more interesting but mega demanding, role gets bigger daily!