Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

misskool

How specialised is that job? I met a woman once who applied for a full time job, got the job, showed them how competent she was and then negotiated her hours to suit her childcare.

Of course, her job was a bit of the top of the game sort where you can try.

SingleSue

Thanks....not really that specialised, just normal administrative work in a school office.

My problem is from the get go though, I would need to have an agreement on working hours before I started rather than a few weeks in after showing my worth as there is just no-one else to cover the troublesome hours for the boys.

That is why it is just so frustrating, if it had been in my local town, it would have been just about possible but it's not...it is 15 miles away in a traffic horrendous town.

LydiaJ

Sue, if the idea of the job excites you, then what have you got to lose? Apply. Send a covering letter, explaining about your boys. Say you're afraid you wouldn't quite be able to do the hours they've advertised, but you would be very interested in the position if the hours were reduced slightly, and give details. Ask if they could keep your CV on file and contact you if perhaps they need anything similar in the future that might fit better with your availability.

OK, so the chances are they will say no. But what if they do? You would be no worse off than if you hadn't tried, and if nothing else, putting together a CV or filling in an application form will put you back in the mindset of applying for things, and make it easier to apply next time something comes up.

I got my current (teaching) job that way. I was teaching in a school I didn't really like that was nearly 20 miles away, doing 3 mornings a week. I saw an advert for a full time job in my subject at a school right in the middle of the town where I live - a really good school of the sort I really wanted to work at. The advert said the vacancy was as a result of the internal promotion of the head of department.

I wrote saying I wasn't able to apply for the full time post, but I would love to be considered for anything part time if the HoD's promotion had altered the teaching load of the department. They called me for interview. When I got there I discovered they were interviewing one other applicant who was also only available part time. The person welcoming us told us not to feel we were in competition with each other because they still weren't sure how many hours would need doing, and they might well end up taking both of us.

I've now been at that school five years. The other teacher was also appointed and we worked together until she decided to have a third baby, got twins, and decided to stay at home with them for a while. (NB this is not a cue for whining about benefit claimants - she has a husband earning enough to support her!)

OK, it doesn't work out that easily for everyone, and it's true that I'm qualified and experienced in the subject with just about the worst teacher shortage of all. All the same, nothing venture, nothing gain. Give it a try and see what happens.

lostinrates

Sue, apply, apply, apply. Who knows whether you'll get it or not....you could do it standing on your head probably though, and hours may well be able to be arranged to suit. If you don't get it, no worry about the boys, but some practise at interviewing/applications and some contact with ''work world'' which you've missed a bit. If you do you can cross the situation with the boys then.

FWIW I school secretary had a child with special needs whose holidays were different to ours and she came to our school often for her half term/holidays and would sit with her mother playing, or sometimes spend the day doing arts or crafts etc while lessons ere going on, so we all knew her and looked out for her. While none of those solutions would probably suit your boys there may well be a solution that will arise if it eeds to.

I'm with the ''you have nothing to lose'' Sue-supporters.

silvercar

Apply. They could get you and a second Sue, both very able and wanting to do part time hours each.

silvercar

So yesterday the bird station had at least 6 birds feeding. Today I look out of the window to see one squirrel sitting on the feeding tray helping himself to seeds. Grrr! Why isn't he hibernating? Birds are no wary and staying clear.

lemonjelly

Sue - do it anyway.

Like LydiaJ says, what have you got to lose?

Plus, you've shown enough on here that you are more than capable of resolving issues & working your way around a problem.

SingleSue

Thanks guys....will put in an application anyway and see what happens.

lostinrates

Its so cold I might actually cook myself a proper hot supper tonight, instead of a poached egg or steamed veg or soup or something. I'm thinking beef stew....so a huge treat for me

I've also got some chicken stock on the go and have to use up a couple of fading bananas, and start baking then freezing a battalion of mince pies so it looks like today might turn out to be a kitchen day.

I also need to spend some time organising the freezer, but its tooooooooo cooooooold for that today isn't it? I bought some plastic boxes to put in it to try and divide the vastness of the chest freezer into meat, veg, dairy. Its a huge space and just has two baskets, finding plastic boxes to fit it without wasting space is proving awkward.

Moneybot

2 litre ice cream tubs work well in chest freezers - can take a while to build up a collection of them but on the upside you get to eat ice cream.