Job search while pregnant

How do you go for interviews and conduct a job search while you are pregnant? This is one of the most common concerns for women who just started their careers and find they have a new sibling on the way. Although we can plan pregnancy to fit in with our career goals, the sorry truth is that there is probably never a good time.

Wear loose clothing

One way of hiding pregnancy when you do a job search is to wear loose clothing and do to the job hunting early rather than waiting until you are showing. It may not always be possible though and when this happens it is time to highlight your excellent skills and how you can complete projects quicker than anyone else without compromising quality.

Disclose or not disclose?

You don’t have to declare that you are pregnant when you conduct your job search since the law prohibits any questions to the effect and is suppose to protect you against discrimination. Unfortunately you also have to consider how the interviewer sees it.

Will you hire a person who is going to take maternity leave in a couple of months when there is another applicant with no strings? You will rather hire the candidate who is not pregnant. For this reason it is better not to disclose your pregnancy right from the start. First get a job offer and negotiate terms. When you have accepted the offer, try to tell your boss as soon as possible.

This may sound rather unethical but will help you not to be discriminated against. If you are already showing, it will not work. If however, this approach seems like something you just cannot do when do a job search while pregnant, you should just focus on your positive attributes and also commitment to the company.

How to handle the interview when you disclose your pregnancy

You can for instance state that you are the ideal candidate since you have a baby on the way and thus will have expenses to cover. For this reason alone, you will already be more reliable and committed to giving your best as you do not plan to lose your job while having a sibling at home. You also need to reassure the employer that you have an adequate support network and that having a baby in the house will not affect your work performance.

That being said, your best option is to do a job search before you get pregnant or wait until the bay has been born. If you do need the income right away, try finding work where you can stay at home. Writing, design or internet based work is off course ideal. Although many ladies are not interested in this, you should consider this type of remote work if you are already showing and in need of a job.