The Bump in the Room

The good news is that my job search has picked up.  The interesting news is that I'm quite visibly pregnant at this point.  I've had two face to face interviews recently and my nerves where entirely due to my bump and not because I wasn't confident in my skills or ability to do the job.

I did a quick goggle search to see if there were any good tips out there for interviewing while pregnant.  I didn't find much- just a few articles that all said the same thing- getting a new job while pregnant can be done and it is up to the woman as to when to bring it up.  Okie-dokie.

Here is my approach to my bump in the room:

• I decided that I would not bring up being pregnant for a direct hire position until I had a job offer on the table.  I am specifically looking for a permanent position with a company where I can grow my career for a few years (I'm thinking 5+) so I want them to hire me because I'm the right person for their position and the organization.  I will discuss my pregnancy once they have offered the position- I see this as their commitment to me as their person for the job and organization.  
• Contract positions- I see these as being different as the employer isn't necessarily looking for a long term relationship (or not at that exact moment).  I always make the recruiter aware of my situation and have had them disclose that I'm pregnant at the appropriate time in the process.  Most recently it has been between the phone screen and in person interview.  Our feeling is that this is something to be upfront about as not all organizations are equipped or willing to work around a contractor giving birth during a contract.    
• I over prepare.  Not that I didn't prepare before, but I figure that my bump in the room could lead to a little doubt so I want to make sure that they know that I'm serious about the position and organization. It's always a little hard to know exactly what will be asked, but I've found that there are some good lists of questions out there for most positions.  Reviewing these has given me some food for thought as I collect my thoughts.  Additionally, I've found more than anything that they want to hear examples of how I approach my work and how I've handled different situations.  I'm pretty careful to be honest, but not rude or critical about my previous organizations- I have a specific example that could come across as negative and I give a very upfront answer about how I navigated within the constraints that I was given.  I also am clear that I really enjoyed working for that organization and was looking for a new position because my contract was for a set period of time.  
• I wear a black suit and button down top so I look as professional as possible.  My jacket is not maternity so it can't be buttoned.  My bump is somewhat out there in all it's glory!
• I put my very best foot forward and figure that I'll end up where I'm meant to be.

A few notes on my plan for my time off:

• I took 12 weeks off with my first son and realized at week 8 or so that I wasn't really cut out for being at home.  Don't get me wrong- the time off with him was great, but I found myself feeling really good and needing the structure of going to work every day.  I knew that I'd want to take less time or spread my time out if I had a second child.
• Obviously, things are a little different this time around as I won't be eligible for FMLA coverage.  I've defined my ideal and will share that at the beginning of the conversation.  I'll also be clear that I see the position as a great long term fit and want to find something that both sides are comfortable with.  
• My ideal- 6 weeks off unpaid and then 2-4 weeks PT.  
• I'd be willing to be off as short as 2-4 weeks (depending on how things are going) and then return PT from home (or with baby in the office) for another 2-4 weeks and FT somewhere between 6-8 weeks.  
• I'm prepared to turn down a job if they aren't willing to negotiate- as sad as that makes me!  My concern is that their unwillingness to negotiate related to maternity leave and some additional flexibility is a sign that they might not be "family friendly" enough for my family.  I'm not expecting anything unreasonable, but I want to know that the organization has my back should something come up that requires shifting my schedule or whatever arrangement we need.  

I breathe a sigh of relief when I leave an interview and make it to my car without them "noticing".  I think at this point it is pretty safe to assume that my bump has been noticed, but no one has brought it up yet.  For now it remains the bump in the room.