Family-friendly careers - do they exist?

[lilymum]

Any ideas as to which jobs/careers are most family friendly? ie. flexible with school holidays, collecting children from school etc (apart from teaching, of course!)

I have had some sessional work at our local university. They sometimes have term time contracts. I havent any hours at the moment so I am interested in any answers to your question
helen

Batters and I are compadres (or commadres?) in HE - she's right, it's a sector where you are not penalised career-wise for being p/t or wanting flexible hours. Parts of HE, such as learning support (IT, Library, Audio-visual, Student services) can be pretty quiet during August and the beginning of September, so employers look quite favourably on requests for term-time working. I think FE tends to be a bit more year-round.

Hi

I work for a children's book company, it is really flexible and great fun.

If you would like more information, drop, me a line.

Tracy Hickson
[email protected]

Just wondering exactly what HE entails?

Have you thought about other jobs in schools? Some receptionist and admin jobs are term time only (although not all). There are also teaching assistants and learning mentor type roles around a lot at the moment. I am not sure what the pay is like though or the necessary training needed. Much of it would probably be in-service though. You don't say at what level you are looking at.

Thanks for the info concerning Higher Education. I am currently a SAHM, have been for 4 years, and will be for a few more to come, and was just wandering whether to do some vocational study/training, part-time of course! I am interested in how others manage the work/family balance, and secretly hoping that out there exists some fantastically well-paid, exciting, challenging career which is completely family friendly (I think I must be an optimist)

lilymum - most public sector jobs are very compatible with kids. You can pretty much request the hours/days you want to work. I think most govt depts are very flexible about this. Whether it's exciting and well-paid is, of course, another matter