| By :
Wendy Moyer
When women are obviously pregnant and are trying to find a new job many of them wonder at what point in time they should disclose the fact that they are pregnant. Should they do it on the phone when they first apply for the job? Should they let their potential employer about their pregnancy once they've scheduled an interview? Or should they wait until the interview itself, when it will be oh-so-obvious? And, if they do wait until they are face to face with the interviewer, what should they say and do at that point in time in order to enhance the probability that they will get hired? Human resource experts feel that if a woman is obviously pregnant and wants to have the odds with her when she is looking for a job she should wait until the interview itself before addressing the fact that she is pregnant. There are a number of reasons for this point of view. First, if you are pregnant you many not feel comfortable disclosing it over the phone. After all, what are you going to say? Something like, "Okay. I'll meet you at Baron's on Wednesday at one o'clock. You'll be able to recognize me because I'll be the pregnant woman in the black suit." If you are overweight, or if you wear glasses, or if you're underweight, or have a limp would you tell your potential employer that over the phone? You probably would not. So why should you mention that you're pregnant? Also, the hiring manager that you want to meet may have some preconceptions about hiring a pregnant woman. They might be concerned about potential health related issues that are part of being pregnant. Or they may wonder if you will be able to work as many hours as necessary and put in the occasional overtime that might be part of the job description. A woman's professional qualifications, and not the fact that she is pregnant, should be the determining factor in making a hiring decision. So, it would be in your best interest to wait until the interview itself to let that fact be known. As far as how to present it goes, the best thing you can do would be to buy a maternity business suit that looks terrific, prepare thoroughly for your interview, walk into the interview with an air of confidence, put a smile on your face and say, "Surprise!" That will not only break the ice, it will also show the interviewer that you have a confident, professional air about you and can handle challenging situations with ease.
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