Reply to: How to find a non-IT role?

[johndc31]

I'd put something on LinkedIn and get people to share it.
PM me, I've got 1000+ recruitment agents on my connections, I can share it.

[Olly]

Going door to door around local agencies may be worth doing. Dress smart, have a practices spiel, bring a printed CV and a smartphone. Immediately follow up with emailed CV and LinkedIn connection.

I did that myself 5 years ago when I was between contracts - thought I might do a few days of temp office work to get my out of the house / meeting people.

Every agency I went to, as soon as I mentioned office work they set me to work doing a typing test. I hope things have moved on since then although of course I know they haven't.

But yes, building a bit of rapport with local agencies can only be a positive thing plus will give her some experience at selling herself.

Getting her to actually do it though is going to be hard

[Old Greg]

Going door to door around local agencies may be worth doing. Dress smart, have a practices spiel, bring a printed CV and a smartphone. Immediately follow up with emailed CV and LinkedIn connection.

[Olly]

Have you guys done the sums of Mrs going back part time vs. childcare costs ? Also, does your Mrs. really want to go back to work ?

Childcare is £52.50 a day so yes, it's worth it plus she really needs to get some normality back in her life, hopefully that will trigger a whole raft of improvements, it's absolutely what she and I want.
...well, she wants the normality, I want the improvements but the outcome's the same. 2 or 3 days work a week is necessary.

[northernladuk]

Isn't that basically PMO?!

Sadly in many cases it is but it's so wrong. A good PMO can make all the difference. An office manager/secretary etc just causes more work.

[LondonManc]

If you're a contractor it might be better her becoming your company secretary. See your accountant for details.

[jbond007]

Sadly that's not likely to happen! Bosch stuck her on a Pitman course with modules in Excel etc. She flicked through a few chapters and jacked it in. Some people in life just don't feel the need to progress.
She's never really had a job interview in her life - it's going to be a struggle

Have you guys done the sums of Mrs going back part time vs. childcare costs ? Also, does your Mrs. really want to go back to work ?

[Olly]

haha. Yes.
That's £300 a day contracting. And PMOs are often part time.
Think OP needs to get Mrs. OP some ambition.

Sadly that's not likely to happen! Bosch stuck her on a Pitman course with modules in Excel etc. She flicked through a few chapters and jacked it in. Some people in life just don't feel the need to progress.
She's never really had a job interview in her life - it's going to be a struggle

[Lance]

Isn't that basically PMO?!

haha. Yes.
That's £300 a day contracting. And PMOs are often part time.
Think OP needs to get Mrs. OP some ambition.

[Olly]

Have a look at this. She should reject the 'you can't come back part time'. She should just say she's coming back and request part-time under flexible working. Make it a very strong refusal and copy HR. Bosch HR are likely to allow her to get she wants. Is she in a trade union? They could help as well.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles...returning-work


as for other jobs. Jobsite/Jobserve etc. are all valid. And I wouldn't call office manager 'low end'.
The thing is that she'll get a glowing CV from Bosch (especially after the letter earlier). And the job she's after is EA (Executive Assistant). PAs are very 1980s.

I'm not sure what you're implying re union or the link. She wants a different job (i.e. less hours, reduced workload) than the one she left so I can't see how they are on the hook for that. Senior UK HR rep is among those that have said her role is full time only.

Thanks for the Executive Assistant tip.

I wish I could persuade her to up-skill a bit and get involved in contract PMO type work. Having said that, projects big enough to need those roles are unlikely to be local.

P.S. Bosch, like most organisations I believe, don't give references that say much more than confirming job role and dates.

[SimonMac]

Looking for a bit of help please. My partner, who's currently on maternity leave, has just been told she can't return to work part-time so needs to find a new part-time position (ideally perm) within about a half hour's drive (or I guess train) of Aylesbury/Bicester.

If she was an IT contractor then I hope I'd have a pretty good idea how to help her but she's been a PA / Secretary / Office manager at Bosch for the 12 years since she left school with low grade A-levels.

So the question is what are the good routes forward please?
Contact HAYS etc with a CV? Anyone pointers to relevant agencies?
Lodge her CV on jobsites, any particularly popular ones? Monster etc?
Does linked in work for lower end roles?

Thanks.

Isn't that basically PMO?!

[kaiser78]

Also try local paper vacancy sections (which are online anyhow these days) ?

[Lance]

Looking for a bit of help please. My partner, who's currently on maternity leave, has just been told she can't return to work part-time so needs to find a new part-time position (ideally perm) within about a half hour's drive (or I guess train) of Aylesbury/Bicester.

If she was an IT contractor then I hope I'd have a pretty good idea how to help her but she's been a PA / Secretary / Office manager at Bosch for the 12 years since she left school with low grade A-levels.

So the question is what are the good routes forward please?
Contact HAYS etc with a CV? Anyone pointers to relevant agencies?
Lodge her CV on jobsites, any particularly popular ones? Monster etc?
Does linked in work for lower end roles?

Thanks.

Have a look at this. She should reject the 'you can't come back part time'. She should just say she's coming back and request part-time under flexible working. Make it a very strong refusal and copy HR. Bosch HR are likely to allow her to get she wants. Is she in a trade union? They could help as well.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles...returning-work


as for other jobs. Jobsite/Jobserve etc. are all valid. And I wouldn't call office manager 'low end'.
The thing is that she'll get a glowing CV from Bosch (especially after the letter earlier). And the job she's after is EA (Executive Assistant). PAs are very 1980s.

[Old Greg]

Looking for a bit of help please. My partner, who's currently on maternity leave, has just been told she can't return to work part-time so needs to find a new part-time position (ideally perm) within about a half hour's drive (or I guess train) of Aylesbury/Bicester.

If she was an IT contractor then I hope I'd have a pretty good idea how to help her but she's been a PA / Secretary / Office manager at Bosch for the 12 years since she left school with low grade A-levels.

So the question is what are the good routes forward please?
Contact HAYS etc with a CV? Anyone pointers to relevant agencies?
Lodge her CV on jobsites, any particularly popular ones? Monster etc?
Does linked in work for lower end roles?

Thanks.

All reasonable plans. I don't see why LinkedIn doesn't work, particularly if she posts what she is looking for, and you and contacts 'Like' it. Maybe try NHS Jobs - Candidate Homepage . The NHS likes private sector experience for jobs such as Office Manager (but probably not secretary). Good luck.

Edit: Reed are probably worth a go as well.

[malvolio]

Google PA and Bicester (or wherever). You'll get a good starting list...