Back to work after children

[shaz-rla]

This is a bit long and drawn out but here goes!!!!  My youngest child as due to start school in September and I want to get a job out of my home!  I have been volunteering at a pre-school, relief dinner supervisor in a school and a little bit of voluntary classroom assistant too. I worked in an office 8 years ago and wonder if I should look at that side too.  My problem is holiday time.  Is there many places other than schools/pre-schools that would let me work in term time only?  I am a registered childminder (don't want to continue doing this on a regular basis) so you can understand why I don't want to pay out loads of money for holiday cover!  Any sensible ideas anyone?

[Hgrove]

I recently met a woman who is a lecturer, she told me she lectures at Imperial College and also at another place in the West End (London) which I can't remember.  She told me she only works Oct to May !   In view of your office experience you might also consider working as a school secretary/admin perhaps?

[shaz-rla]

Thanks Hgrove, I might have to "brush up" my office skills a little first! 

[Solarjunkie]

I started doing Market Research interviewing when my children were at primary school because of its flexibility.

First you need training, with an organisation such as

http://www.ipsos-uk.com/interviewers/default.asp

and then once you meet other interviewers it tends to snowball, you could end up working for 3 different companies in a week! The thing is you don't have to take all the work offered to you, so you only work when it is convenient to you.

If you decide to give it a go, it is worth sticking with it for 3 or 4 months, then once it falls into place it all gets easier! If you have a bad day in an ordinary job, the next day you still have to go back to the same place - in Market Research, next day you'll be in a different place, asking different questions of different people!

Good luck in your search.

[Mrs_Pegasus]

Hi There

I would look at school work.  If you can get a job in the same catchment area as your child then you will know the holidays will be the same - which is a bonus I dont and its a nightmare!

Dont under estimate yourself, if you have worked in schools recently, you will be amazed how much you have picked up.  Classroom assistant jobs come up regularly and with the changes in teachers terms and conditions (i.e. less administration/cover) there are lots of jobs out there at the moment.

No harm in brushing up your office skills and looking for admin type post in schools, there is a steady increase in these because of what I said previously.  I thought I had tons of knowledge when I started working in a school and found myself starting from scratch because it is a different world!

Good Luck - personally I would stick with the child minding, finding a good one is like finding a crock of gold!

[shaz-rla]

Thanks solarjunkie I will look up the market research site.  I went for a classroom assistant job at the local school (heard today I wasn't shortlisted) I'll keep trying!  The only thing I can say negatively about being I childminder is that I have just has a load of new furniture and I don't want to get it trashed!  I look after a couple of really nice children in the holidays and the odd day after school, I have had them with me for a couple of years now and know them inside out (and they know me pretty well too!).  We have a brilliant time - playing, making things etc.. I am really proud of their achievements in that time (and my own kids for coping with them coming into our home).  It is quite daunting stepping back into the unknown child!!!!  Contrary to popular belief some parents still don't appreciate us childminders. I hasten to add not the parents of the children I have - we have all become really good friends.

[toecrusher]

what about a teaching assistants course? in my area, its one evening a week at college for about 3 hrs  and I did 1 day a week  at my  daughters primary school. took 12 months to complete, (and had all school hols)  but now have the benefit of school hours and holidays permanently. Good luck

[shaz-rla]

Funnily enough one of my friends recommended a teaching assistant course just yesterday - I am just waiting for her to give me the phone number and I will enquire about courses for September.  Thanks toecrusher!  Did it take you long to get a job after your training finished? 

[toecrusher]

due to unforeseen family circumstances i didnt go for a job straight away, but i had started to look ,there seemed to be plenty of vacancies,and all the people on the course got jobs (about 15)