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On a day out with my kids recently, I bumped into someone I used to work with. An amazing, energetic, talented, super smart, professional, all-round brilliant woman. She had been looking for flexible work for the past few months and was struggling to make the right connections. Either recruiters weren’t interested because she couldn’t commit to full time work or she couldn’t find part time opportunities that fit her broad and varied skill set.
In that moment I realised that I had made the wrong assumption that people know where to look for flexible working opportunities.
Through our work together, Hannah and I have built incredible relationships with recruiters, those building amazing skills-matching platforms and allies that share the same vision as we do - to make flexible work accessible to everyone, without undermining people's fantastic experience and qualifications.
One of our core values is to be helpful and share our knowledge, so we hope that these introductions save you a few hours of internet searching for your dream job.
Below are a list of the questions most commonly asked of us, so have a read through and if you have any more that we can help with, do get in touch. Share with your friends who are looking for flexible work and hitting a brick wall. So, without further ado...
HOW DO I FIND A FLEXIBLE ROLE?
Be clear on what you are looking for. Look at your personal circumstances, your childcare (if applicable), your goals and ambitions, the kind of company/institution you want to work for, where you want stretch and what you want to achieve. Each professional move is a big one, and you want to make it the right one for you.
Look to your network - ex-colleagues who may have moved on, ex-managers who understand your skills and strengths, friends, friends of friends, ask around. Update the detail within your Linkedin profile to let people know what you’ve been up to and reach out to people, setting out what you would like to do next and whether they are in the market.
Connect with flex friendly recruiters (listed below)
Investing in women - find your flex friendly job today
The Daisy Chain - for parents that mean business
Valued Valued - Inclusive recruitment
Capability Jane - Flexible & Part-Time Working Recruitment Consultancy
Flexible Working People Changing the World of Work
That Works For Me - connecting skilled people with flexible work
2to3 days - Flexible Jobs For Professional Women
Flexible Working Consultancy - Timewise
Use the job search function on Linked In - you can filter by job type for part-time hours, or on-site/remote to meet your needs. Linkedin doesn’t offer a “job share” option unfortunately…yet! Most job advertisement sites have filters where you can select key words or use filters when using the search function.
Don't be put off by the wording "full time". Though it may be advertised as full time, many positions can be done in a flexible way…you might see a role that would be perfect for you and you for that role, so don’t be afraid to apply and talk about the potential possibilities for flexibility through the process!
Consider options internally. If you love the organisation you currently work for, you might want to consider requesting to work flexibly there…contact us for more tips on this, we have a wealth of information readily available to support you.
HOW DO I FIND A JOB SHARE PARTNER?
Look to your network - Hannah and I met at work, so we had a good understanding of each other's strengths and core working values…but this isn’t the case with each success job share partnership, in fact Hannah partnered with someone who she’d never met whilst I was on my second maternity leave and they worked equally brilliantly together. Follow the pointers above to get the most from your network. We know of some incredible examples of job sharers who met during NCT classes, or who were introduced through a recruiter (who knew both candidates were looking for something part time and connected them together - the dream!). You might be surprised at how many individuals would like to work in this way, so raise your voice!
Register with dedicated platforms - specifically linked to matching you with a job share partner
Roleshare - Full-time jobs for part-time workers - introduces you to your potential job share partner, with connections to available roles which will suit you as a pair.
Duo.Me - Job Share - enables you to connect with those with similar skills and experience to find your next role.
Connect with flex friendly recruiters - all listed above, citing that you’d be open to a job share and would love to know of any relevant introductions.
Request to join the following facebook groups - which are jam packed with incredible people looking for and offering flexible work.
(1) Flexible Working People | Facebook (1) Working Mums UK by Investing in Women | Facebook (1) 💥Job Sharers Unite💥 | Facebook
HOW DO I PIMP UP MY CV?
Just one recommendation here but she’s a fab one! Lo Constantinou • CV writer ⚡️ (@goodcopyuk) • Instagram photos and videos Lo helps you to present yourself in the best light to land that dream job. You can also find her brilliant feature in Forbes here!
WHO CAN I FOLLOW IN THIS SPACE?
We have found it so empowering to surround ourselves online with voices who amplify the message that we aren’t unemployable because we can’t work 40 hours, follow and connect with these powerhouses! Mother Pukka - For people who happen to be parents Joeli Brierley - Pregnant then screwed, I help large complex organisations to accelerate gender equality Lizzie Martin - Coaching women to scale the maternal wall Elizabeth Willetts - Your flexible recruitment godmother Sharon Peake | LinkedIn - helping organisations to accelerate gender equality Carla Miller - Helping female leaders more impact at work. Jessica Chivers - Empowering your return to work, Author of "Mother's Work!" Helen & Sarah - Amazing If - on a mission to make careers better for everyone Nicky Lowe - Helping Working Mums Thrive
Share My Telly Job - for those in media roles
I’VE FOUND MY DREAM JOB BUT IT’S LISTED AS FULL TIME :(
Introduce yourself, ask the question, are the business open to the role being performed on a flexible basis? Are they open to considering a job share to deliver against the role requirements? If so, circle back to “How do I find a job share partner”
PODCASTS TO LISTEN TO LIGHT YOUR FIRE. YOU CAN DO THIS!
We are firm believers in surrounding yourself with content and positive voices to encourage you to realise your own value and potential. Everyone knows that we LOVE a podcast - we happen to have appeared on 90% of the podcasts listed here (and hope to make it on to Squiggly Careers one day)!
Influence & Impact for female leaders on Apple Podcasts - Helping female leaders to tackle self-doubt, become brilliant at influencing and make more impact at work.
Wisdom For Working Mums on Apple Podcasts - Expert interviews and conversations with inspirational working mums all designed to help support women to combine their family, work and life in a more successful and sustainable way.
Comeback Coach on Apple Podcasts - Exactly what you need when you’re riding the return-to-work rollercoaster with coaching psychologist Jessica Chivers.
Jobsharing And Beyond on Apple Podcasts - Whether you want to retain your talent, diversify your candidate pool or learn about these innovative methods for your own career path, this podcast all about job sharing is for you.
Mother of All Solutions on Apple Podcasts - Stories from mums navigating their return to work - for parents, carers, employees and employers.
The Equal Group's Podcast on Apple Podcasts - This podcast brings you the latest conversations around equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Big Careers, Small Children on Apple Podcasts - Talking through the practical solutions that have helped make their vision for their career and family life a reality because no parent should ever have to choose.
Power of the Parent on Apple Podcasts - Discussions with parents about their experiences returning to work with practical takeaways for you.
Female Leaders on Fire on Apple Podcasts - For women leaders who are a real force for good and want to make a real difference in the corporate world without sacrificing family time, neglecting themselves or compromising who they are.
Squiggly Careers on Apple Podcasts - Helping you take control of your career development.
The Juggling Act on Apple Podcasts - Lifting the lid on what it’s really like to go back to work after having a baby. We LOVED the episode featuring the amazing Stella Creasy.
Woman's Hour on Apple Podcasts - Because there is ALWAYS something in here to light our fire!
If you are a flex friendly recruiter and we haven’t yet been introduced, please get in touch. We want this post to be an evolving one with updated contacts and links so we would be happy to feature you.
What other tips would you give to securing a flexible role? Let us know.
Networking is about building relationships. Don’t ask people what they can do for you, ask YOURSELF what you can do for them. Don’t sell yourself short, GO GET ‘EM! and let us know how you get on :)