Need extra hours - what can I do?

Mammato1

Hello,

I know there are many threads here but I looked through them and feel a bit lost.

My situation is - I am an aspiring academic, trying to finish off my PhD by June 2012, still a lot to do so need time and relatively undemanding job that can see me through. As a single mum to a 3-year-old I also need at leas16 hrs to get working and child tax credits to pay for the full time nursery.

I was supposed to lecture for over 16hrs begining in October, as my current reasearch job (16hrs a week) is coming to an end but they messed me up badly and now I am getting only 0.2fte (equivalent of 7,5hrs).

I have taken a weekend job with an estate agency and I show ppl houses for sale but this is on demand and irregular hours (usually no more than 8 hrs a week).

I was trying to avoid having 3 different jobs but it seems impossible as I will be short of hours - if I am lucky I will get 15,5 in a week, while I need a minimum of 16.

I need something that would not take too much time and would be relatively intellectually undemanding so that I have my brain occupied with my PhD.

I did AVON when I was on a maternity leave a few years back - but I found it quite a bit of work and market seems to be saturated.

Any suggestions welcome.

Would self-employment be a good option for me at all?

Many thanks to everyone who takes time to read.

taxi36

Hello , sorry I have no advice as such but reading your story reminds me of the situation my Daughter finds herself in at the minute. She is expecting her first baby in just over 2 months time and when he is born she will be in the same quandry as you are. My Daughter does work , she is 17 + is also in education but plans to leave education in the hope of working to support her Son.

At the minute the part time job she has she can never be sure of her hours and is constantly asking her manager for more hours so that she can claim tax credits to help her financially once her baby is born. Unfortunately her manager will give her the required 16 hours one week and then maybe only 8 or 10 hours the next 4 weeks.

This isnt regular enough hours.

Although my Daughter hopes to stay in work it just wouldnt be worth her while unless she can get at least 16 regular hours per week. She was thinking of Avon , babysitting for other mums in the area , betterware/kleeneeze and such like .

Hope you get something soon.