Part-time so lower grade?

[matalot]

Have just started a part-timejob, first job after having DD. The problem is that in order to get part-time work in my field public sector PR/Media, I have had to trade down a few grades (quite a few actually!).

I do accept this (through gritted teeth though) but I realised yesterday that inadvertantly pissing colleagues off because I do contribute in meetings, suggest developing strategies rather than just plod along 'operationally' (a director's words not mine!). However my manager said yesterday that I was a bit too 'vocal.' and that I should concentrate on the day to day even though she couldn't specify which bits of my current role I wasn't doing.

How can I do the job expected of me even though it bores me to tears? It is part-time and commutable (easily). All things hard to find! I feel that I need to knuckle down, but need some helpful pointers.

Just having seen the thread, I was about to launch into the explanation of why making part timers lower grade is illegal...

Now I realise what you're saying is that you've had to take a step down the ladder to get the hours you want.

I'm afraid there's not much I can suggest except gritting your teeth for a while. If you start to become more involved in things gradually, they are more likely to take it on board and see it as evidence you are ripe for promotion. TBH, it can be annoying when someone ostensibly junior comes on board and immediately starts telling everyone what to do (not saying you did that, just saying that that's how it may be perceived).

Also, try to make people think things are their idea. The ideal is to get people giving you more senior work whilst believing that you are doing them a favour. Since most promotions are about proving you can already handle the role, this tees you up nicely for when there's next a vacancy. Even if there isn't, your CV will look better to move on and up.

What Ribena said. If you've just started a new job and are launching in in a manner that might seem 'above your station', for want of a better phrase, you might irritate people and also make people feel a bit threatened.

Do it a bit more gradually. Be very good at the job you are hired to do, earn some goodwill, then gradually start either asking whether you can take on more responsibility, or considering venturing forward with ideas once you are more established.

It's hard when you've had to move down to get the hours you want, but from everyone else's point of view, particularly as you are new, you are there to do job A, and shouldn't be chipping in as if you are in job B just yet.

Thanks - I do appreciate both your responses, and I really do also appreciate the annoyance when someone new starts and launches in a manner above their station! I guess that that's what I have been doing - its just that its really hard to not think in a certain way...

Will take a bit more time and concentrate on the basics though and will also ask if there is any more admin based work I can help with so I am not so bored and will help stop the teeth gritting so much!

I had a very similar type situation and ended up applying for a higher grade full time position (within the same company)after 4 months of being bored out of my mind and feeling resentful at earning much less than I was worth. Since they felt I had proved myself a bit I was allowed to some working from home as part of the full time.

I stayed in the job I was in, and full time but effectively seem to be gradually losing all the nice bits of my job and just getting mundane bits and seem to be effectively demoted anyway.