[Hunch]

I struggle to keep it short, but I'll try...

I am working part time with 2 kids currently. Work have advised that I will need to increase my hours in a few months. If I were to provide all the details regarding the hours etc, most people would say I have it pretty good and just to make it work. But it will create a lot of hassle with picks ups etc. I have been thinking of quitting in the hope of finding a new part time job. I have been looking at Seek and can't see much for such few hours that I am after...and also I just saw a thread on EB about a lot of frustration invloved with looking for p/t work.

I have a business degree but have mostly been looking at Admin type roles. I'm in Melbourne.

Please tell me about your experience in looking for p/t work. I have been looking around a little with not much success and I am thinking of quitting and looking for something else in a year or 2 but the more I think about it the more I think I will regret it.

Thanks for any feedback.

[Saecularis Angel...]

Would it be possible for you to temp for a bit? You could make yourself available only for the hours that worked for you, and IME temping often leads to job offers. (Or at least, it did each time I did it!)

[Mum2ZandE]

Temping led me to my current part time job too.

[mmuc83]

Personally i would try and make it work with the extra few hours and then look for something...

How flexible is you work with start times? Can you work around them?

[Bacongirl]

I'm not sure if my experience will be helpful, but it took me 7 years to find a part time, school hours job.

I'd been working full time until I found one in July last year. I'm in Sth Sydney and I was looking for Admin/office/AR/debt collection/customer service type roles . Just nothing available.

And to be honest my role now is up to 74 hours a fortnight, I'm just lucky enough to be able to work the extra hours from home.

[madmax1]

I have been looking for months now as I have childcare issues and have no one to help out. Nothing going for the hours that suit and if they are EVERYONE wants that job. Its so hard and if I were you I would stick out what you have until you find something else. Life might be hard to start off with but see how you go, you may adjust quicker than you think.

[ellebelle]

I think a lot of the time flexibility in a role only comes once you have earned your brownie points. For example, where I work a few people were full time and were respected employees and they only wanted to come back part time after maternity leave so we have tried to work with them. In some cases, it's been a pain in the butt because the job is bigger than they are prepared to commit to but we have tried to work around that. If they left, we possibly wouldn't offer the role as part time to the next person, it would be full time again.

This post has been edited by ellebelle: 21/02/2013, 04:58 PM

[Rolex]

I know I was so lucky to get my p/t job so easily. After 9 years as a sahm, I jumped on Seek the week after my youngest child started school. Interview a week later, and started a week after that. Mon-Fri 9-2:30.

2 years on and I'm pregnant again and not sure if I'm going back at this stage as I won't do 5 days a week with a very young child. We (work and I) are just going to wait and see what happens towards the end of my 12 months mat leave, as to whether or not I can go back 2-3 days a week.

I was very lucky that the timing was obviously perfect.

[Pooks*potters]

I agree that if at all possible, hang on to your job before getting something else. Generally it is easier to find a job when already employed. Good luck, I think it can be difficult to find but with your skills and experiences you are well placed.

[Beancat]

Try looking on bank websites for customer service (teller) roles. These hours are very close to school hours