“I’m doing a job I love, with the family flexibility I want.” – Natalie Hancock
No takeover here
When the company where Natalie worked as an office manager went through a takeover, things changed. As a mum with a young family it meant that the previous job flexibility no longer existed and her role changed to include travel more often than she wanted. Things had to change, as Natalie told us:
“My role first and foremost is to be a mum and my children will always be the top priority. My previous role allowed me to be in the office just for the core office hours. This allowed me to be there for school drop off and pick up, but with the takeover that changed. The demands on my time at work were increasing and I didn’t want to compromise the care of my children for the sake of work. I had to look at other options.”
Reviewing the situation
Natalie spoke with her husband and they came to the decision that she should look at other careers which provided the flexibility their family needed. Thinking about what she enjoyed doing, Natalie had always helped at the primary school her children attended with reading and other activities. Natalie found that extremely rewarding and decided that working in a school as a teaching assistant could be a job that would meet her and the families’ needs.
“I spoke to the headmaster at the school my children attended and asked whether they would support. I needed to work in the school to get the practical experience to complete a CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools – QCF and they agreed.”