Sam finds the right balance

As parents, time management becomes an art form, with much of our lives revolving around our children’s routines and schedules. From meals and bedtimes to appointments, sporting commitments and everything in between, there is plenty to consider – so when it comes to returning to work, finding something you enjoy doing while maintaining a good work/life balance is like hitting the jackpot.

For 48-year-old Sam Alexander, that’s exactly how she felt when she landed her job in outside school hours care. Mum to a 16-year-old and stepmother to a nine-year-old, Sam had found herself reassessing what path was right for her after her manager role in a roadside assistance call centre was made redundant after 19 years of service.

“I decided to use that time to have some time off, which really gave me the opportunity to reflect on what I wanted to do,” Sam said.

“I was volunteering at the school tuckshop when I saw an ad come up for an administrator role at the school’s after school hours care service, which sounded perfect for me. It was not far from home, and gave me the opportunity to get back into the workplace after having time off.

"I already had some understanding of the childcare side of the role, as funnily enough I’d started a diploma in early childhood education and care when I first finished high school – I just never finished it because it didn’t suit me at the time.”

Sam said she leapt at the opportunity and quickly fell in love with the job.

“I love it. It’s just clicked with me – I’ve realised the school environment is more suited to me than early childhood and that’s why I never fully pursued that path,” she said. 

“The work/life balance is incredible for someone who has school aged children; I pretty much work school hours, am finished most days by 5pm, and it’s flexible around me and my family.” 

Sam said that while her managerial experience has helped her to progress and she has since stepped up into the 2IC (second in charge) service administrator role, she was encouraged by her manager to gain a qualification to grow her knowledge and skills within the industry. 

“I really wanted to do the role justice and gain more understanding of the childcare side and had heard that the Certificate III in Outside of School Hours Care (10983NAT) was subsidised under Fee-Free TAFE funding, meaning I could study online, at my own pace and at no cost,” Sam said.

“It was important for me to find a course that would be flexible enough to maintain my work/life balance, so studying online was the perfect fit for me. For anyone balancing work and family life with study, you’ll know there will be times when you’ll be studying while everyone else is in bed, but as I was already working in the industry I found it a little easier, and if things got too much—for example, family matters arose or work was going through a busy period—I had the flexibility to push back a unit to the next course date.”

Sam commenced her studies in April 2023, and said she was surprised and heartened by how supported she felt throughout her studies.

“The way it was set out was great – there was one central location for all the reference and learning materials, and links to direct you in the right direction for each topic,” she said.

“Even though I was doing it all online, I never felt like I was doing it alone; I had the same teacher throughout all of my units, and she was super responsive if we emailed through questions, and would happily arrange Zoom meetings with me and the other students if we didn’t quite grasp something or felt like we were struggling.”

She said this support was especially critical for her to be able to complete the course, as during her studies her service manager had to take extended leave – requiring her to step up and take on the managerial role on top of her own.

“It got stressful from a work perspective for a bit and there were one or two times where I had to say, ‘I’m not in the headspace or workspace for this’. But knowing in those moments that I had that support and flexibility, and that I didn’t have to abandon my study, significantly reduced the stress for me.”

Sam graduated in August this year, and while life has returned to normal as much as possible, Sam said she is proud to have her qualification and with it, a greater understanding of the work the educational team within her service does every day.

“It gave me a chance to learn those skills and apply them as an educator, which I believe in turn has made me a better manager,” Sam said.

“It’s certainly worth doing; if you have kids going to school, it offers great work/life balance. The course has enabled me to seize opportunities, and as a parent I feel I have an advantage in knowing how to work with and respond to children.

“I get a lot of satisfaction from my work – you can really see the kids’ character and personalities shine, and you get to help guide and shape their future, which is a pretty great feeling.”

According to Jobs Queensland, employment opportunities for educational aides are anticipated to increase by 9.4 per cent across the state over the five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. And with the Certificate III in Outside of School Hours Care (10983NAT) available at no cost under Fee-Free funding, there’s never been a better time to get started in the industry.