Before starting your job search, it’s important to have a clear idea of what type of flexibility you would need in your next job to achieve a good work-life balance.
Questions to ask yourself
Some of the questions you could ask yourself are:
- How many working hours per week would suit you and your circumstances? Of course, you would also need to consider what you would need to earn.
- What times would best suit you? Can you start early or finish late? Can you work every day or are there any days that you can’t work?
- How flexible can you be?
- Would working remotely some or all of the time help you?
- How far and how often can you commute?
- How much would the commute cost, and would you be able to afford it?
Once you have a clear picture of what you are looking for, it’s time to look for the right flexible working opportunity.
Where to look for flexible work
You can start your search by looking for websites and recruiters specialising in flexible working. For example, Timewise (external website) advertises flexible and part-time roles. They also provide advice on looking for flexible working opportunities.
You can also use more general job search websites such as Find a job (external website). They have search tools to help you find jobs with some types of flexible working arrangements. You can add keywords like “part-time”, “remote”, “hybrid” or “flexible” and then check the job vacancies in the search results.
What if flexibility is not mentioned on the job advert?
Job adverts, whether they are online or in newspapers etc., will often mention the hours of work and the potential for flexibility.
But it’s also likely that you’ll find a job opportunity that’s a perfect fit for you but doesn’t mention flexible working. What should you do?
Don’t rule it out. Just because an advert doesn’t mention flexibility, it doesn’t mean the employer won’t consider it if you’re a great fit for the job. In this case you could approach the employer / hiring manager to find out if the company is open to flexible working arrangements.
You should be able to find the name or contact details of the hiring manager in the job description or applicant’s pack.
If you know only the hiring manager’s name, you can search for their email address using Google, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media sites.
Once you have their contact details you can contact the hiring manager directly via email or phone.