APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions.
Here, Karren gives her expert advice to a reader who has been offered a full-time position that doesn’t work with their childcare needs.
Q: I’m covering a maternity-leave position as a teaching assistant in a primary school, and I’m loving it.
I’ve been doing the role part-time, three days a week, as I needed to work around childcare.
The person on leave has now told the school they won’t be returning, and I was thrilled when I was offered the role permanently.
The sticking point is the offer is for five days a week – and they won’t budge on this, despite me having done the job across just three days for the last nine months.
My daughter will start secondary school next September and I won’t have the same childcare issues, but until then, I don’t know how to make the other two days work.
I don’t want to lose a good opportunity for a short-term problem, though.
What should I do?
Cate
A: Well done – you’ve clearly made a great impression if the school wants to keep you on permanently.
I know how hard it is to juggle work and family life – I did it when my children were young.
While it’s frustrating they won’t offer the three-day arrangement you’ve managed, I can understand why they might want the full-time, stable consistency in the longer-term.
That said, flexibility works both ways.
Ask for a meeting with the headteacher or HR and have solutions ready.
Could you work four days a week temporarily until September?
Or job-share with another TA who would welcome part-time hours?
Managers appreciate initiative, especially when it comes with a plan.
In the meantime, keep showing them what an asset you are – when you prove your value, you have far more leverage to shape your role.
With a bit of creativity and communication, I’m sure there’s a solution that works for both sides.
