🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Options
Applying for a new job?
I'm a solicitor working for a city council. Today my hubby saw my job being advertised at another local authority, in the county we are planning on moving to. And they are paying their solicitors the same as senior solicitors get at the authority I currently work for. I'm seriously considering applying for the job but I'm wondering if it's a good idea seeing as I'm currently on maternity leave.
The plus sides as I see it are:
1. Pay increase!!
2. I'd stand a good chance of getting an interview as I've worked for a bigger local authority doing the same job for nearly 2 years now.
3. The type of work they cover is broader than what I do at the moment, so I'd have an opportunity to learn something new.
4. The quality of Social Work is of a higher standard at the said authority, making my job easier (less getting shouted at by Judges!) and therefore less stressful.
5. The career progression is better. At my current place if I was promoted I would have to be on call to go to Court in an out of office hours emergency which creates problems for childcare, but they don't have the same scheme at the other authority.
5. We're planning on moving to that area, so when we do I'd have less travelling time.
Negatives are:
1. I don't know if they'd consider taking me on if I wanted to work part time / job share (I could always ask before I fill in the form)
2. I'm not intending to return to work until February at the earliest (although if they're anything like where I work at the moment it could take 3 months plus before they'd be ready for me to start as I'd have to have a new CRB check and local authorities are always slow)
3. We were planning on TTC no 2 in the new year and I doubt they'd be happy if I turned up pregnant on my first day!
4. Someone who worked in a similar authority told me the work wasn't as interesting in a smaller authority. Although I think I'd be happy to take less interesting work instead of excessive hours.
5. I'd have to repay what my current employers are paying me on top of SMP. Although I suppose we could put the difference aside each month so that we can pay it back in one go.
Hmmm.... decisions decisions.
The plus sides as I see it are:
1. Pay increase!!
2. I'd stand a good chance of getting an interview as I've worked for a bigger local authority doing the same job for nearly 2 years now.
3. The type of work they cover is broader than what I do at the moment, so I'd have an opportunity to learn something new.
4. The quality of Social Work is of a higher standard at the said authority, making my job easier (less getting shouted at by Judges!) and therefore less stressful.
5. The career progression is better. At my current place if I was promoted I would have to be on call to go to Court in an out of office hours emergency which creates problems for childcare, but they don't have the same scheme at the other authority.
5. We're planning on moving to that area, so when we do I'd have less travelling time.
Negatives are:
1. I don't know if they'd consider taking me on if I wanted to work part time / job share (I could always ask before I fill in the form)
2. I'm not intending to return to work until February at the earliest (although if they're anything like where I work at the moment it could take 3 months plus before they'd be ready for me to start as I'd have to have a new CRB check and local authorities are always slow)
3. We were planning on TTC no 2 in the new year and I doubt they'd be happy if I turned up pregnant on my first day!
4. Someone who worked in a similar authority told me the work wasn't as interesting in a smaller authority. Although I think I'd be happy to take less interesting work instead of excessive hours.
5. I'd have to repay what my current employers are paying me on top of SMP. Although I suppose we could put the difference aside each month so that we can pay it back in one go.
Hmmm.... decisions decisions.
0
Replies
What's ye harm in applyin, make returning frm mat leave after feb clear and if they're happy to wait see where you go and make decisions from there. Ttc no1 would be my biggest concern and is what's putting me off looking for a new job. We've discussed ttc after Christmas, but if I fell straight away again and wasn't starting a job til feb when my mat leave ends wouldn't be eligible for mat pay...so do I stick the old job until returning to work after no2 or hold off ttc? Not trying to g/c but that's a big negative imo xx
I think with mat pay, you just have to be employed by your job before you get pregnant. So if I started a new job in February and fell pregnant in March I'd still be eligible, although it would probably be just for SMP, and not any extra. We were planning to start TTC in about Jan or Feb, so waiting until March isn't too bad I suppose. I'd hope we fell first time again.
The problem with waiting until after no 2 in my position is that my job doesn't come up very often in the good authorities and I've been waiting for 2 years for one to come up.
Hmmm...... I think I'll start filling the application form in this evening!