perfect job, too many hours wwyd?

Spendless

Hi

I used to work 9-3 5 days a week, and a 3pm finish is fab with school aged kids, you are able to be about when the kids finish school and you have a couple of hours when you can get things done before swinging into the evening meal, homework, bath and bedtime routine.

I lost my job when the office closed down and the only other work I could find was a 9-5 one. I'm ad-hoc on purpose because permanent f-time does not suit our circs either (husband working away every week, ill and elderly relatives to help out with). I've just finished a run of 16 consecutive weeks f-time (mon -fri 9-5) work because 2 members of staff left one after the other, and it just doesn't compare with how convenient a 3pm finish was instead.

In addition you will get the school hols off which again is fab, no thinking better put x amount of wages away during term-time because childcare during hols equates to my wages or more.

I realise the opportunity has come earlier than you'd have liked but I personally wouldn't chance missing it, there might not be another one. Go for it. Good luck.

maman

I'd definitely apply if I were you. It's not really a full time job at all compared with 9 to 5 and perhaps commuting on top which many people do and still manage to run a home and family.


All it needs is a bit of extra organisation and you'll still be around teatime, weekends and school holidays for your friend.


I also found that when you're not there the house doesn't get messy so it cuts back a bit on housework and heating. Perhaps you could talk it through with your DH and see if he could take on a bit more as well.


I'd get the application forms and details and apply immediately. Good experience whatever the outcome.

GobbledyGook

I can understand your feelings about your LO. I felt rotten because I went back to work when DS was 1 rather than when he started school or nursery like his sisters.

However I balanced up the chances of me getting another school hours, term time job if I gave up that one and realised that they were as rare as hen's teeth in my area and the long-term benefits outweighed the short time he'd spend in childcare. What are the chances of another job with school hours and holidays off coming up in your area?

What about writing a list of pros and cons? I think long-term you'll find the opportunities offered might outweigh the short-term negatives.

I definitely think you should apply. You can apply and turn it down. You can apply, not get it, but gain valuable interview experience. You can apply, not get it, but plant yourself firmly in the minds of the panel/head for future roles. You can apply, get the job and if it doesn't work out you can leave. Or you could apply, get it, love it and be glad you did!

pukkamum

Hmm talked with husband and he really wants me to leave it for a year til lo starts school.
Working every day would mean having to pay for extra child care, having to invest in a second car in order to get lo to nursery and me to work on time and we would lose our tax credits.
Now the tax credits part, before anyone bashes me, isn't a huge concern but added with the extra childcare and travel costs it could mean working every day for not much more monetary benefits but with a lot of added stress for us all, especially the lo.
If it weren't for having to put lo in full time nursery the monetary value would be outweighed by job satisfaction and enjoyment but then the future has to come into it although working every day was never something I wanted to do.
Feeling very frustrated!

tom9980

Apply anyway, the interview experience alone is worth it. If you can get a job share even better. If they can't do that they will at least know you exist and maybe offer you another job more suitable, that's what happened to my wife.

GobbledyGook

Have you double checked the tax credits including your childcare costs?

If your LO is going to be at nursery for 15 hours a week already then how many more hours would they have to be in?

Your other option is to ask if there is any job-share possibilities with the role. If a couple of people ask about it they may consider it.

onlyroz

If it would be the perfect job in a year's time then I would go for it now even if, for the moment, you're not gaining anything financially due to extra child-care costs. In another year such a perfect job might not exist and you might wish you'd taken this one.

Spendless

pukkamum wrote: »

Working every day would mean having to pay for extra child care, having to invest in a second car in order to get lo to nursery and me to work on time and we would lose our tax credits.
Now the tax credits part, before anyone bashes me, isn't a huge concern but added with the extra childcare and travel costs it could mean working every day for not much more monetary benefits but with a lot of added stress for us all, especially the lo.
If it weren't for having to put lo in full time nursery the monetary value would be outweighed by job satisfaction and enjoyment but then the future has to come into it although working every day was never something I wanted to do.
Feeling very frustrated!

For 9-13 months you'd have this situation. When would the post start? If it's September then you wouldn't be looking at putting LO in childcare until Autumn and you could take him out the following July when you finished for summer hols. The earliest the post is going to start is after May 1/2 term hols and you're than looking at just over a year of childcare. Don't get me wrong, I packed in my job over the cost of childcare equating to my wages when I had kids but we were looking at that being the case for 7.5 years (till youngest went to f-time school) not a year or less.

Also nursery might not work out the cheapest childcare option since you'd have a mid afternoon finish. Have you worked out the cost of a childminder instead?

trailingspouse

Do it - more days, more dollars.

Your husband doesn't think you should? What's he waiting for? the 100% perfect job doesn't exist, but this one is 95% perfect. You have maybe half a term of juggling before your youngest goes to school. You'll have to get another car - I'm wondering how on earth you manage with 4 kids and only one car as things stand!!

OK, in the very short term you might be slightly worse off - but this is an investment in your future. If you get it you could be in a job you love, and that sits very well with family life, for years to come.

I don't think many people would expect to be able to manage a house and 4 kids on one person's wage - get out there, get earning, and stop thinking that you'll 'only' be paying for luxuries and extras.

Children survive very well with care shared between parents, childminder, nursery, and school. Really. And it does them good to know that mummy has a life.

pukkamum

trailingspouse wrote: »

Do it - more days, more dollars.

Ah but money isn't everything.