Dear Wendyl, I am the mother of two school-age children and I really think I need to get some work to help pay the bills. My problem is that I can’t seem to find anything that allows me to be home at 3pm for the kids, because I don’t want them to go to after-school care. Before I had children, I was a PA in an advertising firm so I have good secretarial skills. Do you have any tips on how I could find some work? Frustrated oum, email
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Dear Frustrated oum, Without sounding like a cliché, you need to think outside the square on this one. It’s easy to think of a job as something you leave the house to do for a certain number of hours a day. But these days more people are working from home or are combining several part-time jobs in a week, or setting up cottage industries at home and using websites like Tradeoe to sell their products. Search websites such as www.seek.co.nz and also www.trademe.co.nz for opportunities.
I keyed in your skills and came up with quite a few jobs on both sites. Also, contact temp agencies – they may have morning only positions. Then think again about the after-school thing. I know you don’t want this but could the kids go to a friend’s place? Could you hire another mother to care for them at yours? The secret with finding the right job is not to take an all-or-nothing approach. Be flexible and you’ll find something that suits.Wendyl
