Part time Marketing roles - do they work?

[youpeskykids]

My situation: Am in a senior marketing position, currently on maternity leave, going back to work in New Year

Having had a really AWFUL experience of working part time with DS1 (thankfully, they are now my previous employers), I have come to the conclusion that perhaps part time senior marketing positions do not actually work/exist?

Have resigned myself to going back full time (have to go back for financial reasons) but ideally would like to do 3 days a week. My role is both marketing and business development, and many clients/contacts/colleagues have commented that Business Development roles cannot really work on a part time basis.

Really enjoy my job, but with 2 young DS would really like to do both?!

Does anyone else have a positive experience of working part time in marketing (at a senior level)?

bump

I couldn't find a senior part-time marketing role so instead I set up on my own. It was a bit scary at first, especially trying to find clients (I'm no good at bus dev) but it worked out really well for me. I could work as little or as much as I wanted, and managed in the early days to fit most things in while ds was napping or when he went to bed.

If you can find a position, then go for it, but to be honest, I just couldn't find one - not even through the likes of StopGap and the other freelance agencies.

Hi - I returned to work after finishing materniy leave in January. I am a senior marketing manager for a huge global IT/Telco company, and I would categorically not be able to do my job in 3 days a week! I negotiated 4 days Mon - Thurs but frequently have found myself working Fridays when DS napping or over the weekend. In fact it has worked out so badly for me that I am applying for a voluntary redundancy package to be a SAHM for a few years, and hope to pick up a career again at some point in the future. So in answer to your point I do not have any positive experiences to share...sorry! Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Thanks - just as I thought!

NoNickName - this is something I have thought about many times, but have had no idea on where/how to start. Plus, as I am main earner in family, was frightened at prospect of not earning any money in the early days.

What made you suddenly decide to DIY and how did you get clients in the early days?

Most of my clients came through my website as it seemed to show up quite high in the search engines. My first client though was someone I was buying from myself, so it was a direct contact really.

I found LinkedIn quite good at making contacts, and a few clients are past colleagues in new positions.

Although I wasn't the main earner, I certainly earned a good deal more than dh, so any amount of money after my year's maternity leave was really welcome.

If you're keen on the idea, then I would also recommend is that you start thinking about doing it now, rather than waiting unti lthe New Year. That way, you can almost try it out for yourself to see if you like it and if it might work. You don't need to set up a company, you can be a sole-trader, but you do need to let the Inland Revenue know, and you may need to pay some NI contributions even if you don't earn anything through it at the moment.

You could spend the time now thinking about what you're best at, how you might sell yourself, where you might promote your business, etc, etc. You could use the time to write and have developed a website, get listed in directories, etc.

You don't have to do any work now if you don't want. You could use this time as a real litmus test to see what's out there and what people are looking for. you don't have to take on the work. I've turned down a few dodgy-sounding potential clients on the pretext that I was too busy at the time.

My best friend had a senior marketing role at one of the big city law firms and managed it "part time" for four years, but part-time meant working 9 to 3.30 every day then 7 to midnight most nights as it wasn't possible to get all the work done in the hours she had negotiated. She's now left there and is working much shorter hours for a smaller firm. I'm not sure that it's a marketing-specific problem though - more that it's extremely difficult to get most executive-level jobs on a part-time basis. It's okay if you've been somewhere pre-kids or if you are specifically headhunted so you are a known quantity, but otherwise places would almost invariably rather have a full-timer. It's a b*er but then, most of us might have been as equally discriminating pre-kids. Having said that though, it is possible - I do three days a week management consultancy at a senior level. I won't make partner, which I almost definitely would have if I'd been prepared to go full-time and put 100% of my energy into work, but I want to spend time with my kids when they're small. Hey ho...

Thanks to all who posted - if only I knew then what I know now and I may have chosen a different career path!