Being pregnant and looking for workI'm almost 5 months pregnant and I'm looking for work. Soon there will be no question about my belly...right now I suppose I could just be thought of as fat. Of course I won't be at a job for long yet life goes on and I need to pay my bills. I left my last job because it was strenous on my body. How do I handle this? Do I address that I'm pregnant? I'd like to take a short (unpaid) Maternity leave and then continue on with a company. any advice?
Although they aren't supposed to discrimate against pregnancy, most companies will be very reluctant to hire you on when it becomes obvious. Try temp agencies. Then the leave won't matter, plus you may find a company that wants to take you on after the birth. Also try government jobs (city, state, county, feds). They bend over backwards not to discriminate. Also, if you go to www.babycenter.com and do their free registration, then go to the "birth club" for your due date, you'll find a lot of supportive women right in your shoes. All the best! Tess As someone who was in your shoes exactly six years ago this month - I say, Put your best foot forward. I landed a sweet job with United Airlines in Marketing when I was about 5 months pregnant with my first. They definitely took me for fat with no waist :) Obviously it did not come up in interviewing but on my first week on the job, as I was learning my role and expectations, I was preparing how "easy" I would make it for everyone 90 days later when I had my baby. You have to be confident that you can do it so that the looks and questions won't bother you. Do not worry about how the maternity leave stuff comes up or how you will handle it - you never know what a company's policy is. Do not decide in advance what you will do. For example, my current company does short term disability after working 90 days so that would be an example of how you might be able to get paid for some of the leave. In my case at UAL at the time - I was taking an unpaid 6 week leave but the policy is different and more generous now. You never know. Back to after you land the job... after I was on the job I had the dreaded talk with my boss (who was a woman and not all that great at dealing with it) where I reiterated my value to the company. Remember, when you are new - everyone is high on you so you have to make sure you instill a level of confidence that you will be that same person. A VP who I did not know all that well stopped me in the hall to tell me how glad he was I was on the team and that he hoped I did not have any anxiety about being pregnant. Keep this in your heart as you search. All the best and make sure you are super alert and chipper as you are looking... remember you should be glowing right now.
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Career Tips
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