After getting a call for a job I had applied for last spring, I hurried to my closet to pick out an outfit.
Of course, I wanted to present a professional and polished appearance, but I also had one other mission in mind:
Deciding if I should hide my baby bump.
I know, I know, pregnancy discrimination is illegal and Marissa Mayer landed her gig at five months pregnant, but still, what girl wouldn’t wonder, just a little bit, if her pregnancy would be seen as a deterrent to employment?
If you are visibly pregnant, then of course you know the potential employer might consider, even if he or she legally shouldn’t, the prospect of maternity leave and benefits in the decision-making process.
When it came time for my job interview, I chose to camouflage my bump as much as possible and when no one asked me if I was expecting, I didn’t volunteer the information. In the end, however, I know it was pretty obvious that I was pregnant and when I didn’t get the job, part of me did wonder if the pregnancy had anything to do with the fact that I wasn’t chosen for the job.
So what’s the best way to handle the issue of pregnancy in a job interview?
Well, according to an article on CBS’s Money Watch, there isn’t one hard and fast rule when it comes to disclosing pregnancy in a job interview. Experts, however, did reveal a few tips:
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