Job hunting while trying to conceive

For some pregnant women, working a full-time job is hard. Pregnancy signs like fatigue, morning sickness, back pain, and mood swings can all get in the way of fulfilling your tasks at work, and your relationship with your colleagues! But that's still easier than looking for work when you are pregnant, or even trying to conceive. Many potential employers will ask you about your plans for the future, including whether and when you want to have kids. Despite the fact that they really should not be asking these questions, the way you answer can decide whether or not you will land that job.

When you are going for an interview, and you would really like to get the job, just what do you do if those questions pop up? We all know that, "Are you planning to get pregnant sometime soon?" is not a legal question to ask, and that you have no obligation to answer that. The fact of the matter is that your reaction will indeed influence whether or not you are hired, if a curious interviewer probes anyway. Then there are variations of this question that are more acceptable, like "Can you guarantee you will be able to work for us continuously for at least a year?" Should you answer honestly, lie, or avoid answering altogether if questions about family planning are asked during a job interview?

One thing we can assure you is that answers like "the law does not oblige me to answer questions about my private life" will not help you get a new job. We suggest neither lying, answering, nor avoiding but a little combination of all of those. If you are asked about having children in the near future, the best thing to say is: "At the moment, I am very committed to building my career, and that is where my focus lies." You can use any variation of that, of course. Also read when's the best time to try for a baby?