Contents
- Looking for work: more complicated for a mother?
- Should you indicate your marital status on your CV?
- During recruitment interviews, can we talk about children?
- Should you reassure the employer when you are a mother?
- Should you inform your employer of your pregnancy?
- How to succeed in taking up a job as a mother?
Looking for work: more complicated for a mother?
The status of mother is not the most complicated, it is the organization with the children (childcare, extra-curricular activities, homework time) that must be taken into account. A couple where the two parents shared the missions will allow everyone to be more comfortable in their schedules and their position. On the other hand, if a mother has to ensure the children drop off in the morning at nursery or school, return in the evening before 18 p.m., parent-student meetings and sports sessions, it is clear that this will limit his job searches. And direct him to part-time, a company close to where it lives, and sometimes an underqualified position.
Should you indicate your marital status on your CV?
I am against the idea of indicating on a CV one’s marital status or a number of dependent children. CV tells about a professional journey. And civil status should neither interest nor worry a HRD. These are, moreover, elements of non-discrimination. Regarding the cover letter, it describes the reason for the application. It seems to me that the children are also irrelevant. Ditto on professional social network profiles.
During recruitment interviews, can we talk about children?
If there are strong organizational constraints (need to adapt schedules, work part-time or at home, frequent absences to be expected …), you have to talk about it from the first interview. For example, if a mom must leave in the evening at 17 p.m., better to ensure feasibility immediately. Everything will depend on the company, the position held, the agreements that exist in the branch … Otherwise, applicants are under no obligation to discuss the topic.
Regarding specific questions (working time agreements, number of days of paid leave, sick child leave, etc.), it is better to wait the end of the recruitment process when you want to validate the last elements before making your decision.
Should you reassure the employer when you are a mother?
Logically, a professional should not insist on your motherhood. Dads never face it. However, we can also try to “reassure the employer” with specific arguments such as “the nursery closes late”. but we must not fall into the justification, at the risk of doing too much. Regarding questions about a “hole in the CV” lasting several months or years, I recommend being transparent. “I stopped to take care of my children” is not an answer to be ashamed of.
Should you inform your employer of your pregnancy?
There is no legal obligation to communicate this information. It is therefore up to each person to decide to think about the best solution according to their personal situation, the nature of the desired position, and the organization of the company.
We may be tempted to say nothing to please at all costs, not to take any risk of destabilizing the employer. But during the months that follow and when the pregnancy will be seen (often during the trial period), the relationship with employer could suffer. Especially since pregnancy can be incompatible with certain professions, which could endanger the health of the mother-to-be and her baby.
On the contrary, play the transparency before hiring makes it possible to avoid putting the employee and the company in difficulty from an organizational point of view. Especially since the law considers pregnancy as a criterion of discrimination.
How to succeed in taking up a job as a mother?
Communicate your needs, constraints, difficulties, is essential to be heard. On the contrary, imposing decisions overnight without notice will not create a good atmosphere. A organization well put together at the start, a good distribution with the dad, a nanny involved constitute an essential basis. Being a parent changes our lives forever, including our professional life. I advise accepting it as an individual and knowing what you want. And then we must go beyond the stage of guilt. We, as women, need to work, to meet financial needs, to flourish outside our family cocoon, but also to empower our children.