We all know that in today’s job market there are more than enough challenges for the average job seeker to overcome; less jobs, more applicants, applicants with better experience or education than you, and the list goes on and on.
But imagine being a pregnant woman, just laid off and out there job hunting… just a tad bit mortifying, right?
Imagine the looks when you walk into a new office for an interview, 6 months pregnant, belly protruding and doing your best imitation of a duck. Don’t pretend there won’t be funny inquiring looks because we all know there will be.
My personal favorite assumptions are the initial look… first they look you in the eye, and THEN they look down and stare at your belly (for what seems like 30 minutes). Then FINALLY they look back up at you without saying ONE WORD. It’s almost as if the person asked about 10 questions without even opening their mouth.
Now better yet imagine the unasked (well hopefully unasked) questions…
- “Is that woman pregnant or just overweight?”
- “WHAT is this woman doing? She’s not actually interviewing for a job is she?”
- “How far along is she?”
- “How exactly does she think this is going to work? We can’t afford for someone to take 12 weeks off for maternity leave…”
Your best bet at the point that you really start to show, is to be confident, honest and make sure you do your research about the company. There is no doubt in my mind that you will get at least a few inappropriate questions about your condition and future plans. BUT if you go into the process prepared and knowing the background about the company (i.e. work/life balance, how they view working mothers, flexibility in the workplace, etc.) you will not be caught off guard when you are declined or offered a position. In addition it’s always better to be prepared and have thoughts about how you will handle your maternity leave (how much time you would plan to take off, child care, etc) so you can go through that with a company if you feel comfortable talking about the details.
Keep in mind the following questions are off limits (aka NOT legal)… and for the fun of it, I’ve included what I imagine would be some of my smart ass responses…
- How far along are you?/When are you due? (Excuse me? I’m not pregnant I’m just getting fat)
- How many kids do you have or are you planning to have? (I don’t have kids, I just have dogs, 13 of them in fact)
- What are your childcare plans? (for my husband you mean?)
- Are you married? (I didn’t realize my marital status had anything to do with my abilities to perform this job)
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The ONLY question that a company should be asking you that even comes close to talking about pregnancy or maternity leave is…”Is there any reason why you cannot perform the duties of the job without reasonable accommodation?”
it’s a tough interviewing game but as with anything related to a job hunt be prepared and don’t be surprised by the stupid questions, looks and comments you will receive.
