A stress free role for Stacy

Meet Successful Mum Stacy Benham

Who is this fantastic employer that offers flexible working?

Peter Morgan, Morgans Chartered Surveyors.

What flexible role did they offer you?

Part-time Personal Assistant.

How did you hear about the role?

The role was on Facebook as part of the Successful Mums job board and the potential opportunity seemed too good not to pursue.

Why does Peter Morgan embrace flexible and part-time working?

Peter himself is a very busy employer! Either out attending several regular meetings or often adapting his schedule to meet at a moments’ notice; embracing flexible working hours means that I can often adapt my days to suit Peter’s needs, whether that is to be in the office acting as cover for when he is out, working from home when he is away or being present to work alongside him as needs be.

For myself, having a young family and the commitments that come along with it, being able to work within their school hours and around their varied school holidays means for the first time I feel like I have struck the perfect work-life balance. It might be a bit of a cliché but being able to drop off and pick up the kids from school, meet with teachers in the playground without the fear of being late to work, or to confidently attend a sports day or Christmas play without necessarily having to use up valuable annual leave makes such a positive difference.

What do you think the top 3 benefits to the employer?

Flexible, available, hard-working staff; I’m much more relaxed and therefore more focused at work.
Reliability; I can be there when I say I will be there, planning my working hours in advance, moving days around rather than booking them off.
Commitment; with a job so perfectly suited to my needs, it’s a position I am absolutely committed to.

Tell us the top 3 benefits of flexible working for you as a Mum?

Stress-free! I almost can’t believe I am saying that! A perfect, stress-free role that alleviates any worries regarding my children’s logistics.
Work-life balance; being able to do the school run and work from home during the holidays is a dream come true, something I thought I’d never find.
Increased self-esteem; it’s lovely to be in a role where you are valued and are able to dust off being ‘just a mum’ and start using your brain and your skillset again!

Share your thoughts on what personal success mean to you?

It might sound a bit cheesy but personal success to me is all about being happy, being available for my children, spending as much time with them as possible, being equal with my husband, having something to talk about at the end of each day (other than nappies and cBeebies!!) and performing well and supporting my employer, in an engaging role with an interesting workload.

How did Successful Mums help you achieve personal success?

Successful Mums have helped me re-enter the workplace following an extended period of maternity/childcare leave. My confidence at work is back and having an income is very welcome!

What are your Top 3 tips for other Mums returning to work?

Be confident in setting out your own parameters, I offered the days/hours/terms and conditions of what I felt I could achieve, for my employer to consider – setting out a plan means that I work according to my commitments and not the other way around.

Be open to working in a different way. I’m happy to invoice my employer from a freelance/self-employed point of view, billing for the hours I work means I don’t feel guilty if I have to work less one week, and of course, it’s a bonus if I am asked to work a little more during another.

Get to know Successful Mums! Working in partnership with a specialised team, who may see more opportunities suited to Mums looking for flexible work, certainly helped me in finding my current role!

Any work life balance tips?

Get organised! Know your child’s school start and finish times, holiday dates, inset days etc. and get your diary sorted!

Know your life hacks! Clean uniform pods all sorted at the start of the week, book bag pegs and a packed lunch cheat sheet, so the morning routine is as ‘hassle free’ as possible!

Appreciate your quality time! Getting through the door once schools out means a quick snack, storybooks out and a cuddle on the sofa, spending quiet time with the children, asking them about their day is just the tonic after a busy week at the office!

If you would like a stress-free role like Stacy why not join us for our Back to Work Course and we may be able to connect you with the perfect employer. Find out more about our courses HERE.