The Photographer's Wife Parenting, Disney, Travel, Reviews & Other Randomness
Yes, you read that correctly. I went on an interview when I was 37 weeks pregnant. My belly walked into the room before I did, but I didn’t let that stop me from going after the job and getting it!
Warning: Wordy post ahead!!
This actually happened when I was pregnant with Trent (and not this time…in case my boss is reading! haha) and I have had this written ever since then, but am finally just getting around to posting it. I’ve tweaked it a few times, but never actually hit Publish. I don’t know why. I guess part of me felt like I was an exception to the “rule”. That this doesn’t happen to people. But it does, and before it happened to me, I searched everywhere online trying to find advice. What I found was plenty of people giving their opinions without ever having been in this situation. But I wanted to read more from people to whom this actually happened. What were their thoughts? What would they have done differently? Sure, every situation is different, but I wanted to gather as much as I could to make a decision and who knows, maybe even find something that I had not yet considered.
The biggest concern I can think of that affects any potential employer when it comes to hiring a pregnant women is timing. Depending on where you are at in your pregnancy, you could start a job and then need to go on 6 weeks (or more) of maternity leave, which could cause you to forget all your training and need to start over upon returning. Or it could be the other way around: you could be due any day and can’t start until after you have the baby and take leave. When an employer is hiring, typically they are doing so to fill a position as quickly as possible so as to continue running smoothly and not overburden other employees within the organization that have to cover the work of the vacant position. Which person best fulfills the employer’s needs: a non-pregnant person that can start right away uninterrupted or a pregnant woman that has timing restrictions and several unknown factors?
It’s not difficult to see why any employer would hesitate to take a chance on someone that’s pregnant. Your task is to convince them to look past any short-term complications and instead concentrate on what you could offer them long-term. My advice will be very general, as I believe your situation changes depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy, the needs of the employer, and how long you expect your maternity leave to be. Also, keep in mind that there are plenty of things beyond your control, so just concentrate on the things you can control and hope the rest will work in your favor.
Here’s my story…
Shortly after I became pregnant, I knew I wanted a new job. We wanted Brett to work-from-home to take care of our baby which would result in a considerable salary decrease to do so. It became my task to make up for this by getting a higher paying job with better benefits. But I didn’t just want ANY job, I wanted to make it worth the time, effort and awkardness I was about to put myself through. When I was just a few months along in my pregnancy, I filled out a couple of applications along with my resume. At this point, I was barely showing any signs of pregnancy, so the immediate need to tell anyone wasn’t there. I didn’t end up getting any calls and since my pregnancy had progressed, resulting in a larger baby bump, I figured I would put my search on hold until after the baby was born.
Then, at 36 weeks pregnant, I saw my friend post on Facebook about a job opening that I had recently seen on a company website (I regularly looked at this company’s site because I wanted to work with them). I kind of disregarded it at first, but it bothered me not to do anything so I decided to inquire more. I called her to ask for more information and she suggested I call the supervisor that would be doing the interviewing and hiring. I had never done anything like that before, but hey, let’s just add another new task to the list.
I introduced myself and asked about the job. Since it was already posted online, there wasn’t much for her to tell me in that regard. What I was basically trying to do was gather whether I even had a chance at qualifying for the position. I am an accountant and I knew that the company’s fiscal year end was right when I would be on maternity leave (good timing, huh?), so I asked how pressing it was for them to fill the position. After she explained what I already knew about the fiscal year end, I spilled the beans. I told her I was pregnant.
I could tell she wasn’t sure how to respond. I had just told her something that she now had to tip-toe around. She was silent for a second but then acted excited for me. From that point on, my honesty was met by her honesty. She told me that me being pregnant and the timing of everything definitely complicates things, but to send in my resume to her and she would consider it.
I sent in my resume that day, but I honestly didn’t expect to hear anything and if I did, I figured it was because they now felt like they HAD to do something in order for me to not cause them any HR problems.
To my surprise, she called and wanted me to come in for an interview. You want to know the first thing I thought of?
What the heck am I going to wear to an interview at 37 weeks pregnant?
Is it bad that I didn’t want to spend the money for a suit when I knew I’d only wear it once?
I wore a black knee-length skirt, a red top and a black flowy cardigan…not something I would ever wear to an interview under normal circumstances, but great for semi-concealing my pregnant belly on a budget. I say semi-concealing, because there was no way it was fully concealed. I was obviously pregnant. The point was to not wave the “I am pregnant” flag everywhere I went, making every person I passed feel uncomfortable. I wanted them to feel as comfortable as they could around me.
The interview went well and I was asked typical interview questions by two people. She ended the interview by saying she was still uncertain how this would play out but wondered what my plans were regarding maternity leave. I told her I had originally planned on taking 6 weeks of maternity leave whenever my son decided to make his arrival, but that it was because I only had 6 weeks of leave to take at my current job. I mentioned my due date and I even offered to start sooner than 6 weeks if they needed me. I left the negotiation floor open, letting her know that I was willing to alter my plans if it meant I would get the job.
Of course, I tried not to be unrealistic about it…you never know if you’ll have complications or need longer to recuperate, so I didn’t want to say “I can start the next day!” but I did leave the 6 weeks as a line in the sand.
After several days passed, I got a call to come in for a second interview. Wow. If they were doing this just to be nice and not get in trouble, I was going to be angry for them wasting my time. Interviews aren’t my idea of a fun hobby and I would rather just be told no.
Oh yes, and I needed another outfit. Great.
This time, I wore something I already had that was business-casual. I met with my future supervisor, her boss and someone that had been covering the position I was interviewing for. I was given some more standard interview questions, except for when they asked me what my favorite food was. How are you going to ask a pregnant woman what her favorite food is? I think I named at least 5 things and thought of 5 different things on the way home. Great, now I seem like I’m an indecisive fatty.
At the end of the interview, she said she would call me to let me know either way.
A couple of days later, she called to tentatively offer me the job (pending successful background, credit and education checks).
Yes, my big ol’ pregnant self got the job. All the worries of being able to find one once my son was born were lifted off of me. It was a truly wonderful and exhilarating feeling.
Of course, there was the hassle of giving my notice to my current employer during my maternity leave once I found out my start date and the offer was official (yes it took that long), which they didn’t take so kindly to, but it had to be done and I was relieved once it was all finished. My new employer had even TOLD me to take my 6 weeks of maternity leave and that I could start afterwards and that they would just make do until I could start. She made sure to inform me of insurance timing so that I could make the best decision in regards to not missing coverage. I was extremely pleased at her honesty and willingness to discuss something many employers would be too afraid to discuss.
Here are some of my general pieces of advice if you are considering looking for a new job or interviewing while pregnant:
Just do it. As cliche as that sounds, it’s true. Submit your resume, because you never know how long it may take for them to contact you. Some companies take a long time, so why not put your name in the hat for when you’re ready. If they call you sooner, then…
Be honest…to the extent that you feel the situation deserves. I don’t recommend lying to potential employers. If they hire you, they will find out you’re pregnant when you start showing. Starting a working relationship by lying does not prove well for long-term trustworthiness. If you aren’t showing, it doesn’t need to be the first thing out of your mouth during your initial interaction. Get a feel for how the interview went first. Some people even recommend waiting until you receive an offer to tell them. I can understand that, but sometimes the opportunity presents itself at other times too. If you are obviously showing, I would address it as soon as comfortably possible. For me, that was in my initial phone call when we were discussing how fast the position needed to be filled. Heck, I was far enough along that I could have had the baby while I was on the phone (“so, umm, does this prove I am good at multi-tasking?”), so I felt it was best to be upfront about it from the beginning. I mostly did that so I didn’t waste my time interviewing if they absolutely had to have someone start within the month and I couldn’t do it, but I also felt it would be rude to surprise everyone.
Be willing to discuss varying start times. I know those first few weeks are a time for caring for the baby and for recuperating, but if they need you to start a few days earlier than you originally planned, it’s just a small sacrifice to make for an improved long-term situation.
Be honest…with yourself. Since this was my first pregnancy, I knew in the back of my mind that you just never know how the birth will play out. You could have the baby early or late, there could be complications or it may take you a long time to recover (I know it did for me)…don’t be so naive to think you can start the day after you give birth.
As wonderful as being pregnant is (except for the morning sickness and gas and all that fun stuff), don’t be loud and proud about being pregnant. It is a truth that can be discussed, but don’t tell everyone you meet before they say anything and don’t go screaming it down the hall. Dress conservatively as best you can given your new body shape. If you’re one of those women that barely shows and just looks like you had a big lunch at 9 months pregnant, then 1) I hate you and 2) obviously you have the odds working more in your favor here. The rules of conservative dress still apply for interviews. However, sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got. I have 2-3 places to get maternity clothes in my town and it’s slim-pickins, and since I was working with such short notice, I had to find something as professional as possible, but it definitely wasn’t a suit that I normally would have worn.
Here are some great maternity interview outfit ideas I found online (what you can wear to an interview while pregnant):
A blazer is always a good idea.
Of course, I was fortunate enough to have a female employer that was willing to talk about the situation and took a chance to hire me. Some employers just will not have the same reaction. If there is obvious discrimination, than that’s another situation entirely, but aside from that, I say take a chance!
Your Thoughts…
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments, maybe someone searching for this advice will find it helpful to read everyone’s thoughts!
You may also be interested in…
Tips for Going to Disney World While Pregnant
My Pregnancy and Baby Book List
Pregnancy Progress Photos – Part 2
I had a similar experience. This country has come a long way, I can’t imagine my mother’s generation hiring a pregnant woman (if they knew about it).
Yes, I agree! I was surprised when I searched for other people’s experiences to find so many women saying “don’t do it” or “wait until after the baby”, many of whom were never actually in that scenario - so I am glad I could contribute an experience that was positive and says “Go for it!”
Very interesting story you had there. I’m glad that you got the job.