Will Leaving Retained Affect My Chances of WT?

[AndyHurst123]

I'm currently an on call fire fighter and absolutely love it, but it's a struggle with family life. 

I would love to go whole time but worry if I stop retained it will go against me when a wholetime position comes available. I worry because they may think I'm not committed enough, but its purely because working full time with a family and on call is just affecting the family too much.

Does anyone know if this is the case?

Cheers

[TandA]

I can’t see how it would, or could legally, affect your chances of getting a WT position.  Better to recognise the problem and leave of your own accord than to get managed out if you can’t keep up your contracted hours in my view.

[Messyshaw]

I worked with a guy in London who was told off the record when retained that his employers wouldn't make him whole time as it would create a retainex vacancy on his below strength station

So he got a whole time job in the LFB waited a couple of years and got a whole time job back with his old employer

Just an example that being ex retained might not be a disadvantage.  Why not do what he did and discuss your anxieties with a trusted senior manager or HR?

Good luck

[HoldFast]

I don’t think it will at all. You’ll still have the relevant experience to draw on for your wholetime application whether you carry on with it or not. If it’s having that much of an impact I would call it a day and put that energy in to pursuing a wholetime career. Id recommend subscribing to the forum too if you really want to make a go of it. It really is a Goldmine for potential recruits with lots of people ready to offer reliable advice and support. Good luck making your decision mate. No one can fault you for putting your family first.

[JamesA]

I’m Wholetime now, started as RDS for 13 years. 
My advice for what it’s worth is don’t sacrifice family for the job mate. It contributed a lot to my marriage ending and me barely seeing my daughter. Making that jump to wholetime and having a good job and being successful seemed so important. It doesn’t anymore. 
Obvs I don’t know your circumstances but always go family first work last, as sad as it sounds. 
Your RDS service will give you great interview evidence whether you stay in or not. Good luck 

[TandA]

4 hours ago, JamesA said:

Your RDS service will give you great interview evidenc

Drifting off topic a bit, but Only use RDS examples if they really are the best examples you have for that PQA.  I see plenty who assume that because it is a fire service based example that automatically makes it a strong example, often leading them to ignore much stronger examples from other areas of their life.

[JamesA]

8 hours ago, TandA said:

.  I see plenty who assume that because it is a fire service based example that automatically makes it a strong example, often leading them to ignore much stronger examples from other areas of their life.

Yes very true! It maybe you have much stronger stuff from outside of work! Don’t be afraid to use it!!