I’ve heard that discussing kids during a job interview places you at a disadvantage. There is a stigma that goes along with being a mom looking for work outside of the home.
Will she arrive to work on time? Will she bring drama from home to work with her everyday? These are just some of the questions some employers may have. But, the equal employment opportunity act bars them from asking these types of questions at a job interview.
Some moms take a break from working full time, and have a hard time getting back into the workforce down the road. That said, some may argue that moms should omit their parental credentials to appear more qualified for jobs. But, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Benefits of Talking About Your Kids at Job Interview
A study at Vanderbilt Law School revealed that moms who explain the gap in their resume makes them more likely to get hired.
According to Joni Hersch, a professor of law and economics at Vanderbilt Law School, “women who conceal personal information dramatically lower their hiring prospects.”
Three thousand people took part in the survey. They were in charge of choosing between two qualified people for a job. One candidate was upfront about being a stay-at-home mom for the past 10 years.
That same candidate had a 30 to 40 percent greater chance of being offered the job than the person who left out details about being a stay-at-home mom.
Despite the results, there are still some who question the accuracy of the study. Ofer Sharone is a sociologist at the University of Massachusetts. He told the New York Times that narrowing the field between one woman who explained the gap and another who didn’t, he said, misses the more likely reality.
He added that both would probably be screened out before they got to the interview stage, and that employers are looking to filter through a large number of applications in the quickest way possible. Professor Sharone said recruiters had consistently told him, they are “going to go with someone without a gap.”
There are others who may feel that regardless of whether you took time off from working outside of the home or not, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission protects you from discrimination. But let’s face it; the internet makes escaping any sort of bias very hard.
I’ve interviewed for jobs in the past and didn’t mention my children at all. However, a quick Google search revealed my entire family. One employer even said he found me after stumbling onto my website, another saw my Facebook page.
The point is that we live in a social media world, so there’s no sense in hiding that you have children. Employers may find out before you even have a chance to tell them you’re a parent. So you might as well lay it out there.
Embrace who you are. Talk about the work you’ve done both in your professional and personal life. I firmly believe that if a job is meant to be, then it will be. Just make sure you explain how your parenting experiences makes you qualified, and keep your focus on the job itself.
Would you mention your kids during a job interview? Do you believe it gives you an advantage?
