3 Tips for Pregnant Women Who Are Looking for a Job

You might find some comfort in knowing that employers can't legally discriminate against you if you are pregnant and looking for a job. Still, employers might be reluctant to hire you if they believe your pregnancy will somehow interfere with doing your job. Pregnant women, they might feel, will go on maternity leave and never come back.

The following 3 tips for pregnant women who are looking for a job might help you deal with this reluctance so that you can secure a place in the job force.

Tip #1 Don't Share the Good News of Your Pregnancy

Just as employers can't legally discriminate against you if you are pregnant, you are also under no obligation to even tell them about your pregnancy when you are looking for a job. This tip goes hand in hand with your need to start a job search early before the signs of your pregnancy become obvious. Remember that you're not trying to lie about your pregnancy because you fully intend to return to work after your maternity leave. By not informing a potential employer that you are pregnant, you are only trying to sidestep the issue temporarily so that they are more willing to give you a chance.

Tip #2 Bring the Pregnancy News Out in the Open

Another tip to follow when you are a pregnant woman looking for a job contradicts the first one. This means that if there is no way to hide your pregnancy, you should just bring it out in the open in an assertive way. Once the fact of your pregnancy is revealed, you can focus on the employer's reservations about hiring you by reassuring them about why your pregnancy won't interfere with doing your job.

This tip for pregnant women who are looking for a job is especially effective if you've already had children. You can then tell the potential employer that you've had this experience before and that you fully intend to come back to work.

Tip #3 Focus on Your Job Skills

A final tip to follow if you are a pregnant woman looking for a job is to call attention to your specific job skills. What difference does it make if you are pregnant, for example, if you can type 100 words per minute? Again, in focusing on your job skills, you should act in an assertive and confident way. List your qualifications one by one.

In sum, there are 3 tips to follow if you are a pregnant woman who is looking for a job. You can either tell the employer or not, making sure that you emphasize the actual job skills you are able to offer.