Job share/part time work....

[KM]

Sorry if not in the right section, but it's more a mum issue...

I've been looking since September, without much success, for a part time or job share pa/admin role. I've applied for a few positions via the agency women like us, and I am registered with several other agencies, but I am starting to panic that I'll never get a job with the obvious 'mum shaped hole' in my cv... My background is in the entertainment industry, I have a great cv, and I've been networking like crazy with all my contacts, but I get a real feeling that all anyone sees is my kids and a hassle...

If anyone has any advise it would be really appreciated.

Thank you.

[dutchestatefamily]

Hi

Would you consider working in an admin role in a school? often these roles are term time only which can work well for parents. And perhaps finding employment that is local to you is of interest.

Check out the southwark and other borough websites for job vacancies in schools. For some secondary schools/ academies/ private schools check out their own websites.

the women like us website/ agency seems really good and sounds like you are doing all the right things, especially the networking. i found that telling all my friends that i was looking for employment was really helpful.

I've been in your position and understand how hard it is! Good luck to you

[Saffron]

Worth checking with universities as well. I've frequently found that universities are more understanding and flexible about child-related issues. Eg, the PA for my Head of Dept at King's Col has 2 school-aged children, and she works from home 1 day/wk. Good luck! :)

[EDmummy]

A way to try and resolve the mum size hole in your CV is to do some volunteering. There are lots of charities (small, medium and large professional ones) that would be incredibly grateful for your help a few days a week. Its a win/win in that you get to refresh your admin skills and get to give something back to the community/society. If not already, you should also add your profile to Linkedin and make all the connections you had before you gave up work.

If you're interested in job share you might want to find a job share partner, that way you can apply for full time positions together. There is quite a lot of work that needs to be done to find the right partner and build the right approach to work but I've seen some fantastic job shares work incredibly well.

[kemurf]

Is your background PA/admin? Sorry if it's an obvious question, but if it isn't, why are you applying for these roles?

The reason I ask is because PA/admin is a common area for mums returning to work to apply for, rather than something similar to what they did pre kids. I used to work in HR /recruitment until very recently (to be a stay at home mum!) and I have seen this on so many CVs. Companies get a bit nervous not because you're a mum, but because this isn't the background /skillset you used to do, if you see what I mean, so they view it as a 'foot in the door' approach rather than 'I want this job and I will be good at it' approach.

Last year I attended a seminar on going back to work run by Women Like Us - or another similar part time working mums website, and this was a massive issue, because mums thought this was a good or easy way to get back into the job market - effectively mums it seems, lose confidence in their abilities as a job applicant and undersell themselves and their abilities when they go back to work.

However, that said, if this is your background (sorry to go on) then I imagine you are in a similar boat to many other mums and women - it's a really tough job market and I'm sure it will be for a while yet. So like someone said earlier, go that extra mile and volunteer in a similar role in a charity or school, to get your skills brushed up and show you are different. Carry on networking - word of mouth counts for so much.

Try the women/part time jobs websites to see what articles they have produced about going back to work.

There is also a business networking event on 9th May in Forest Hill - I wonder if this is a good networking event?

See here; http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7709

Good luck!

[Saffron]

Volunteering is a great thing to do. I fear, however, a lot of mothers who are looking for work are doing so because they can't financially afford to stay at home. Volunteering simply wouldn't be an option that many mothers could take due to the costs of child care. What then? It's such a difficult time economically for many families. We are definitely feeling the crunch in our household. If I don't find a grant in my research field soon, I'll be forced to look further afield. It's pretty painful that employers might see that as a foot in the door approach. Ouch! Tough times.

[kemurf]

I agree Saffron that volunteering might not be an option due to childcare costs - and that's another huge issue, but it is such a competitive jobs market, that if you can do it, it might just give you the edge.

[Norfolkvillas]

Not sure if it might be too far away, but there's a Clapham / Wandsworth mum's forum called nappyvalleynet.co.uk which I still read from time to time, and I see jobs posted on there, specifically targeted at part time mums, so it might be worth having a peruse / signing up to the newsletter if that kind of area is feasible for you - they're pretty much always very locally-based roles.

As an employer, I actively recruit mums returning to work for certain part time positions, which has so far been really successful - the theory is that if I can offer interesting work and the right hours, then in return I get a very loyal and committed employee (usually with significant amounts of life / work experience under their belts) - it's a win / win. (Unfortch my company is based miles away in deepest West London, and I wouldn't wish my commute on anyone for a part time role!)

My point is that being a mum returning to work after a break is definitely not always seen as a negative.

There is another website which is prob similar to the one referenced above called jobs4mothers - that might be worth a look?

[Cora]

Really wish someone local would set up a website with local job opportunities. There must be quite a few businesses around here that need staff which would match up well to the skills of local mums (and others), many of whom are massively qualified and experienced at a range of jobs. One of the big problems is the time taken up travelling to work, working locally frees up more time between school runs.

[Fuschia]

This any good?

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?30,877474

[KM]

Thank you all... A lot to think about here, especially the volunteering, but thanks for lead Fushia, that actually looks ideal.

[Smiler]

Full time for six months or a year then request to go PT or move jobs from the FT job?

[Coach Beth]

Freelance work. Becoming self-employed was the best decision I made. If you are able to put up with the initial low income as you build your client base, you can find that in a couple of years you could be earning as much or more as working for an employer (of course, you will also have to sort out sick pay, holiday pay, tax etc yourself!).

I use a 'virtual assistant' who does all my diary management and some other admin for me. You may find that in East Dulwich there are alot of self-employed people and small business owners who don't want to employ a part-time PA but who would love a couple of hours help. The woman I use as my virtual assistant works out of her own home and has a number of clients like me. I pay her ?25 an hour and use her on average between 6 - 8 hours a month. She is a mother and she can work around the school hours.

Anyway, best of luck!