Dream job has appeared while I'm on maternity leave

[CommanderShepard]

I'm due to go back to work in May next year - had my flexible working request meeting yesterday - but in the meantime my dream job has come up at another company and it's part time. It's a career change but I sent them a tentative email and they were really positive about my skills and all but told me to apply.

The thing is that I still have a lot of mat leave left and registering my daughter on nursery waiting lists has been done based on starting in May. And I'm having enough trouble getting her on just for that! So my worry is that if I apply and get offered the job I'll have no childcare and have to decline the offer and that will make me look like a time waster. Family childcare isn't an option.

...But I really want this job! And it's not one that's going to come up often. So what do I do? Apply anyway, make my situation clear and hope they like me enough to come to an agreement?

[Oodthunkit]

Could your dh take some paternity leave instead while you start new job?

[CommanderShepard]

Good idea, but unfortunately no; we couldn't afford the reduction in salary especially as it could be 4+ months if they wanted a January start date and no nursery place appears til May.

They do know I'm on maternity leave though, so if I applied and they interviewed me it wouldn't be a surprise.

[Durab]

TBH, I'd apply and worry about the childcare if/when you're offered the job. It's amazing how things turn up if they're meant to be and you will find something - have you tried childminders? Even if it's not a perfect arrangement, it will only be short-term until you were expecting to go back to work anyway.

You may be able to negotiate a delayed start, but much better to try and do that after you've been offered the job than to let it put them off even interviewing you.

Your DH might be able to negotiate flexible hours for a short period of time and why not a reduction in is salary for a while? You weren't expecting to be earning.

[posyplum]

This happened to me (seeing a new job and going back earlier than planned) and I found a brilliant childminder. In the end it worked out so well that I ditched the nursery plan and she is still there and loves it. I would echo worrying about childcare if and when you get and accept it.

[mycatlikestwiglets]

Also worth bearing in mind that other people applying might have a notice period to work out before joining, so asking for a period of time to get your childcare sorted might not seem unreasonable. The interview process can take weeks too, depending on the type of job you are going for and how many rounds of interviews you might have to go through