It's the age-old problem; you want to return to work, but the school day is getting in the way. How do you find a good job with the right hours? Raisingkids.co.uk's guest expert Denise Robertson has the answer.

Raisingkids member's problem
How do I find a job that fits in with my hours as a parent? I need to drop my child off and pick him up from schoool, but there aren't any jobs starting at 9.30am and finishing at 2.30pm?

Denise Robertson's advice
While it can be difficult finding jobs that fit in with your responsibilities as a parent, it’s not impossible. Have you thought about working in the school arena? Working in a school would be ideal – you’d be able to work hours that suit both you and your child. Jobs in schools range from Secretaries to Classroom Assistants and Dinner Ladies.

Other possibilities would be to look into jobs that have flexible working hours - for example working in a supermarket or large local store where you can choose the hours you want to work.

If you are worried that you don’t necessarily have the correct skills for these jobs then why not pop into your local learndirect centre and they will be able to advise you on courses designed to fit around you and your commitments. They can also offer advice on returning to work and more importantly talk you through the different options available to you and the kinds of skills you’ll need to succeed.

Returning to work part-time could also be an option and you could look into the possibility of sharing after-school care with another Mum. There will undoubtedly be other Mums in the same situation, who want to return to work but don’t want the children to suffer so why not ask around - the school gates are a good place for finding likely candidates! Once you have found someone to team up with, you’ll be able to return to work part time and share the responsibilities of dropping the children off and picking them up between you. You will be able to work together to ensure the children are happy and safe and still reap the benefits of earning a wage again.

If you'd like to get hold of Denise's free guide, Back to Work: Easy Ways to Juggle Work and Family, which she published as part of learndirect's Back To Work campaign, then click here or call them on 0800 101 901.