Looking for work at 7 months pregnant, would you even bother trying?

[echoesofspring]

I had a big essay all typed out, but in the end it boils down to this...the (very small) company I'm working for is going to be out of work for me sometime in the next month, possibly in the next 2 weeks. This is earlier than I think any of us had anticipated, I had thought the work would carry through til I left for maternity leave. I started working for them in January, and it seemed like they had tons of work, but I've come to realize that isn't true, they have some serious cash flow issues, and there's enough red flags at this point that I'm not sure they'd have work waiting for me or even be in business after I return from maternity leave. Up until this week I had planned on just returning, but I can't count on that anymore. It's a bummer b/c I like them and they recruited me for nearly 2 years, but that's how things go. I should say I'm a contract worker not an employee... so no severance, benefits, etc.

So I'm looking at possibly 6-8 weeks of no work for the rest of the year and then unclear path for after maternity... if all goes well and everyone's healthy, etc. ideally I guess I'd head back to work probably in March, maybe end of Feb.

It's just not clear to me how to handle this, we can swing me not working for a while, though it impacts our hopes to upsize in house. But psychologically I'm having trouble adjusting to not knowing what the outlook is for the next 6+months. It's weird it's bugging me as I've traditionally struggled with long term planning ;)

What would you do? I'm sure I can keep busy getting ready for the holidays and baby, lots of other projects on the back burners, and could get all my professional materials in order - i.e. update LinkedIn, resume, etc. I know the time will fly by. But would you be actively looking for work trying to make contacts, sending out resumes, etc. Or would you just wait until after the baby comes and things settle down. Any BTDT? There's also this part of me that's ready to try a new career, and thinks maybe this is a sign but thinking about that just leaves me ....overwelmed right now.

[mom3boys]

I went to an interview more than 7 months pregnant and was offered the job, so I don't think its inconceivable to look. I received the offer a week before I had the baby.

I had told them during the IV That I wouldn't be able to start until after maternity leave. Obviously they were OK with that, but of course it also meant no paid leave (not that any company has to give you paid leave, anyway).

My friend started a job 8 months pregnant, worked for a month, had the baby and went back to work 3 months or so later. Officially they are not allowed to discriminate. Realistically they may not be able to hire someone who has to take off right after starting/or who can't start for 2-3 months after being hired.

But I think you can try.

[ilfaith]

Well Yahoo did hire Marissa Mayer as CEO.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-07-17/mayer-becomes-highest-profile-pregnant-woman-hired-as-ceo

On the other hand, interviewing with an undisguisable baby bump will be challenging. No matter how impressive your credentials are, a company is going to see you as someone who is going to come onboard only to depart in a matter of months for maternity leave. Of course they won't come out and say your pregnancy is the reason you aren't hired, and in today's competitive job market it would be tough to prove discrimination.

Since you can manage on one salary for the remainder of your pregnancy, you can still use this time to network, update your resume and even sharpen your job skills. If there is a company you are really interested in, perhaps you could arrange some sort of informational interview, letting them know you are looking for opportunities several months down the road.

[StantonHyde]

I think you could put feelers out and network but I wouldn't interview for and take a job--only because you just never know how delivery and baby are going to go. But you could do a lot of prep work and informational interviewing.

[echoesofspring]

Well Yahoo did hire Marissa Mayer as CEO.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...n-hired-as-ceo

Lol, I was thinking of her as I wrote, I almost title my post, "I am so not Marissa Mayer", despite being in software :)


I went to an interview more than 7 months pregnant and was offered the job, so I don't think its inconceivable to look. I received the offer a week before I had the baby.

I had told them during the IV That I wouldn't be able to start until after maternity leave. Obviously they were OK with that, but of course it also meant no paid leave (not that any company has to give you paid leave, anyway).

My friend started a job 8 months pregnant, worked for a month, had the baby and went back to work 3 months or so later. Officially they are not allowed to discriminate. Realistically they may not be able to hire someone who has to take off right after starting/or who can't start for 2-3 months after being hired.

This is very encouraging!

[Liziz]

On the other hand, interviewing with an undisguisable baby bump will be challenging. No matter how impressive your credentials are, a company is going to see you as someone who is going to come onboard only to depart in a matter of months for maternity leave. Of course they won't come out and say your pregnancy is the reason you aren't hired, and in today's competitive job market it would be tough to prove discrimination.



I agree with ilfaith's assessment that it will be hard. That being said ... I was offered a job when I was 7.5 months pregnant, and started said job when I was 36 weeks pregnant. So it certainly is possible.

Someone very successful in business also pointed out to me this -- how a company deals with a pregnant candidate says a lot about how they deal with their employees in general. A company who is willing to hire someone pregnant, deal with maternity leave, etc., is probably a more family-friendly company (i.e. - friendly to parents). That's not to say a company who doesn't hire you is bad or anti-parent, (I know I have job openings right now that I can't afford to wait on through a maternity leave), but I do think it's a good way to ensure it's a parent-friendly place.

[sweetsue98]

A very good friend of mine got laid off when she was 7.5 months pregnant. She used her time prior to the baby on putting a resume together and networking. She interviewed quite a bit after the baby was born and got hired about 5 months later. I know you want to secure a job prior to your baby being born but if you don't, then look at it as some extra time with your little one. Best of luck in your job search!

[klwa]

A friend's wife just changed jobs at 7 1/2-8 months pregnant, so I think you can go ahead & start looking. :)

[ZeeBaby]

I would try it, but I would not be disheartened if it didn't work out. Right now you are going to be out of work anyway, so you have nothing to lose. I would only apply to jobs I am absolutely qualified for and think would be a great fit for me. I wouldn't put too much energy into it either. You should be able to collect unemployment and that will be better then no income at all during maternity leave if no jobs come through.

[marymoo86]

Why not? It takes a while any way to get up to speed in networking, looking for positions, getting resumes to the right places and then usually first contact is a phone screen anyways.

[mctlaw]

I'm an independent contractor, but I started my job when I was 6 months pregnant. Of course there was no paid leave, but on the other hand I had incredible flexibility to return as desired.

[almostmom]

I interviewed for a job, and got it, when I was 8 months pregnant. In the interim maternity leave, my old employer came up with a new job for me, and I did those interviews while on maternity leave and came back to that org. So I was offered 2 jobs basically while very pregnant. I also had a 2 year-old at the time.

So I say go for it! As long as you can convince them you really do plan on coming back to work, and if you're interviewing, they have to believe you will be (otherwise, why interview at 7 months pregnant???).

[echoesofspring]

Thanks everyone for all the anecdotes, and good advice! I did pick up some more work today that may help get us to the end of the year, and I have another lead, but I'll have to do some soul searching/job search strategy for what I want to do long term - But it was really encouraging to hear about how many people interviews/got jobs late in pregnancy, very cool!

[american_mama]

I'm not sure my situation applies to yours, but I moved across the country for my husban'ds job when I was 7 months pregnant with my first child. It was a 12 month fellowship and we had no expectation of staying in the area permanently, so I'd have only 8.5 months left in the city after a traditional 6 week maternity leave for me. I decided quickly not to look for work. I did, however, find myself completely overwhelmed by unpacking and loneliness, and I was bored, and I went to a temp agency and got a temp job for the last month of my pregnancy.

I am not sorry I did this, as I think the situation was kind of clearcut. But it did set me on the path of being a stay-at-home mom without ever really deciding to do it. I regret that my short-term, not a lot of thought decision ended up having a much larger ripple effect.

eta: In college, I worked a summer job where the woman hired turned out to be 5ish months pregant. Our boss was a little... rueful, I guess, about the upcoming disruption... because I believe the new hire had not been clearly pregnant during the interview but was on her first day of work, so it was a bit of a surprise. But our boss also had kind of a that's life attitude. I believe finding out that the employee fully planned on returnong to work after maternity leave also made the situation easier.