Ok should I apply for this job or not ?

[rookiemum]

I'm going to have to condense this as I'm paranoid if I put in too much detail someone will figure out who I am.

Back from work after mat leave have been back almost a year, do 4 days a week but I'm bored and haven't enough to do and I feel that I'm not getting on that well with the other two people at my level, plus our area is changing a bit and I can't decide if its good or bad news.

Have seen another job advertised internally, its exactly my skill set and seems a bit more interesting. Don't know if they would do 4 days a week, if they don't its a no go as I'm not increasing my hours, ideally I would be so good they would agree to 3 days a week, but I guess I'm in a fantasy world there.

I'm TTC although we have just started, it sure didn't take long last time and I don't want to start in a new department pregnant or be pg within a couple of months as I feel thats a really tough route to go down as I did it before.

Any great ideas on what I should do as I'm a bit stuck?

tricky - go for it - something interesting to come backt o if you do have another

Yes but it seems bad going to another area knowing that in an ideal world I will be with them for 8 months then away for a year. I was pg when I changed last time and I felt I worked doubly hard to make up for the fact that I had landed them with someone that wasn't going to be there for a period of time after they had gone to the trouble of training me.

I'd go for it. Obviously I hope you get pregnant, but if it takes you a bit longer than the last time you'll have chance to settle in the job and enjoy it before you go on mat. leave. And it'll be there to go back to afterwards.

Go for it - it's good experience and fingers crossed you'll get it and might be able to negotiate those 3 days a week!

It would be tough starting a new job pregnant or getting pregnant soon afterwards. But it might take you a while to get pregnant this time even if it was quick last time, and you don't want to put your career on hold and find you are still there in a few months. Also, even if you do get pregnant quickly, you will still have 8 months or so to make an impact and get yourself stuck into the new job, learn lots etc. It would then be disruptive to be off for up to a year, but you will have lots to offer for the time you are there and would probably be more likely to want to come back as well, if you have an exciting new job.

Sorry that was a bit rambly, but I'd go for it! And good luck TTC

as an employer, there are never guarantees when you take someone on. They could be trained up and just not like it and leave. I understand the ethical dilemma, though. I employed someone and they announced they were PG 3 months later. But because they were very valuable to me, I made sure they got full ML entitlement and although her ML cost me 20-25K in real terms I never told her that, although I have to say i was pretty peed off at the time.
With any member of staff, you have to take the rough with the smooth and if you are a valuable member of staff to them, you may find they are pretty philosophical about it, particulalry as you already have a child.
If you feel really bad, why not delay TTC for say 3 months so that they will have you for a year before going off?

Suey2 and flowerybeanbag I know what you are saying but its the bits where you say you were really peed off when someone got pregnant after three months and that I would have to make even more of an effort for the time I was there, thats what I did last time and it wasn't easy, in fact it was knackering knowing that I had to work doubly hard to make up for the fact that I was pg plus my boss was rightly a tad annoyed about the situation anyway.

However something has happened, today I just bumped into someone I used to work with and they are keen for us to have a chat about potential work i could do for their area.

I'm extra chuffed, because I know this person and can be very open with them about my personal as well as career ambitions so I think it could all work out even better than applying for this job. So please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Oh suey2 I meant to say about the putting off TTC. I don't want to do that I'm late 30s and I'd never forgive myself if we weren't able to have another one and I had delayed the process.

fingers are crossed for you rookiemum, that sounds like a good opportunity.

However, just for the record, I don't think you would need to work doubly hard because you are pregnant, far from it - when I said about still having an opportunity to make an impact I meant just that - you will be around long enough to learn lots and demonstrate your ability - through being good at your job, not by working twice as hard.
Nor should you be remotely worried about peeing someone off - it would (and does) concern me when women make career decisions based on worrying that a pregnancy will inconvenience an employer.

However, as I say, it sounds like you have found a good opportunity for you, hope it works out and do let us know!

i second that flowerybeanbag. The fact i was peed off was my problem not hers- and i didn't let on i was peed off. She didn't have to work doubly hard either, just do her normal thing.
I don't think you should worry about being popular- you have to do what is right for you. That is the employees prerogative

Oh I know you are both right in theory and flowerybeanbag I didn't mean to misquote you.

Maybe I am too thin skinned but I just found it really hard to arrive pg. I do like my job but I find some of the wee digs in meetings not about me but about other members of staff either with family or other issues and I just know that people will have talked behind my back and are probably laying bets on when I am going to be pregnant again.

Actually reading this I'm beginning to think that maybe the problem isn't me or my pregnancy but just being in a bit of a bitchy atmosphere.