Part-time job without GCSE!

[plumatwork]

I have been a stay at home mum for 14 years. I do not have GCSE qualification (I do have a degree from the U.S.) and struggle to find any part time job, to fit school run schedule.

I have applied for TA, dinner lady job, so far nothing. I am not sure it is due to my lack of references or just haven't been in the workforce for a long time. Shall I take GCSE (I am 40)? Is it too late?

MY DH travels a lot and we don't have any family member that can help with babysitting. Now my kids are teens, I really want a part-time job while I can still be with them after school. Feeling stuck...

Presumably you have your US high school or high school equivalency diploma? That is analogous to GCSEs, from my cursory research. I would list it on your CV/application and explicitly say "US high school diploma - equivalent to 5 GCSEs". I suspect that the 14 years out of the workforce are a larger issue.

Do your kids actually need taken to school if they're teens? Can you be more flexible on hours?

Taking a volunteer role in e.g. a charity shop would be a good way to get some relevant experience and current references.

We just moved to this area 6 months ago.
My teens go to different schools, one is 20 mins drive from home, the other is 10 mins. Not entirely safe for them to walk home, DS has ASD.

Yea, I think I would start with a volunteer job first.

There’s a lot to unpick in your questions …

1. Why are you worrying about GCSEs when you must presumably already have an equivalent school qualification?

2. Is it because you are trying to avoid putting your degree on applications for part time work?

3. What was your degree in and do you have any graduate level (or higher) work experience?

4. Have you considered that you might be better off aiming for full time work? Your teenage children are likely to become increasingly independent, and with a husband working away from home you’ll surely need some absorbing occupation of your own.

5. Long gap in work history, plus lack of references … This does need addressing, either through volunteering or taking a course of some kind which would enable tutors to assess and vouch for you.

There is, by the way, a new ‘Mature Study and Retraining’ board here, under Education. Feeling ‘stuck’ is definitely a common theme, so you may find it helpful to take a look at some of those threads.

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