Ok, I have not worked in years. I was a stay at home mom and home schooled my son for three years and attended a year of college this past year. My husband and I split up two months ago and I need a job to care for my son and myself. My husband is not helping financially at all, he's just fallen off the face of the earth as far as I can tell.

So, I was putting in applications. I got a call on Monday for a part-time retail job, 25 hours minimum wage. I went to the interview and I was hired. As of yesterday they were waiting for my background check to clear before I could be put on the schedule. There is no potential for full-time, at all. The store is small and they can only have four full-timers. Hours will vary and I'm expected to be available to be called in at a moments notice.

Today I get a call from a factory. Full-time, minimum wage to start but they can't interview me till Tuesday. I may be started at the other job by Tuesday, I may not get the job if I'm interviewed (but I imagine I will). 3rd shift, set hours are also a plus.

What do I do? I've never been in this position and I'm very unsure of what I should do. I'd appreciate any advice from people who have more experience. please!!

Go with the FT interview. You have to think long term stability here even if it is a PITA short term.

And the sooner your are in long term steady (with bennies -- you have a kid and health insurance is a must) the better.

A

Should I call and let the PT boss know I can't take the job now?

No, wait until you get offered the other job. You need a bird in the hand so that you can pay your bills and look after your son if the factory job doesn't work out. The PT place might not like it, but you have obligations which they are unable to help you meet--they'll get over it!

Exactly. Start and keep the PT job.

You don't know if the factory job will come through -- you're only going on an interview. Once you've gotten the offer, signed the papers, and gotten a start date -- THEN quit the PT job. Yes, it'll going to mean juggling a little bit and maybe a bit of embarrassment at the PT job to quit after a week or so. But tell them that you really needed a FT position with benefits and you received an offer you couldn't turn down.

Bingo! I agree!

Take the part-time retail job. The other job is just a maybe - you never know what may happen to screw that up.

This way, you'll have a job - which may not be exactly what you want/need, but it is job experience and you may wind up getting a full-time retain job somewhere else. Or the factory job....

Congrats on your new job !

Thanks everyone I appreciate the advice!

Side note: your husband should really, REALLY be paying you child support. Don't let him be a dead-beat.

My husband isn't my son's biological dad. His bio-dad actually is a deadbeat, but that's a whole different story.

Ok, I talked to part-time job boss and I'm only scheduled for Wednesday next week so I will have no problem going to the interview. After the interview, if I get hired, I will go talk to him and let him know what hours I can work (which will be almost all of the open hours, because full-time job is 3rd shift) to fill in till he gets another person in and I'll be able to work both jobs till he has someone. It'll suck, but I'll manage I don't think he plans to put me at a full schedule for a couple weeks, so it shouldn't be too bad.

So here's hoping I get the full time job on Tuesday

I agree with what the others have said. It sounds like the PT job won't be giving you many hours, so you may even be able to keep it to pick up a few extra bucks while working full time.

Sounds like things are working out.... Good luck on that job interview... I hope you get it!

I agree with the others. Take the PT job and hope for the FT job.

Don't change jobs on any positive words the employers tell you until you are actually hired. I say this because I've been lied to so many times. For example, on a Tuesday I was told that they would make a decision on Wednesday and let me know. I was told I was one of two they had chosen for the job. I hadn't heard from them on Wednesday, so I thought they may have been busy. I waited 'til Thursday and the mgr wasn't in. I called on Friday and he emailed me back saying that they interviewed others after me and decided on someone else just that morning (Friday).

I've also been scheduled for an interview, and the morning of, I was called and told not to come in because they hired someone else.

If the FT job doesn't go through, try to find a second PT job. It will be hard to be "on call" with a child. And they are paying minimum wage to be on call? What are these employers thinking?

I would track down the child's father for support. If he doesn't pay, the gov't won't send him an income tax refund at the end of the year.

This happened to me so many times. I was even hired at a place and then they took the position away because the person I was going to replace decided not to leave :[

So, you know, even if you're hired make sure you're actually hired.

That's incredible! It really makes me wonder how people (applicants and employees) are treated when I do business with any given company. I actually took my vehicle to a different repair shop, because I knew first hand how the familiar company treated its people.