38 Weeks & Terminated; Begin job search now or after birth?

katiepurcell

Last week I was terminated from my job at 37 weeks pregnant. It is an awkward situation, as I was terminated from my current position, then offered a new role in which I declined (it had nothing to do with my skills, education or experience). While I feel my termination was unfair, I have decided to just move on...

While my DH and I have a little in savings and have health care to cover us through the birth, I will definetly need to go back to work soon. I am struggling if I should get out some resumes and cover letters now before I go into labor, or just get prepared so that shortly after the baby is born I can get to job searching..

I know that the birth of a baby can be a challenging (albeit, awesome and exciting) time for new parents, I am trying to gauge or get some advice on juggling late pregnancy, birth and newborn with a stressful job search from STM's who went back to work or anyone who has been in a similar situation....

jf198400

In my experience, job hunting and interviewing can be a very long slow process, so I would definitely start now.  Plus it will be easier to work on your resume and cover letters now rather than when you are caring for a newborn.

Demedoll

I dont know what industry you are in but this job market as a whole sucks so better to start now than later. You can always reschedule or turn down an interview if you are still in the hospital or recovering.

 

allisons1014

I would get your resume and cover letter ready now but I would wait to start looking.  I could not imagine trying to send out resumes and be available for interviews while I was in my final weeks of pregnancy, knowing I could go into labor at anytime and miss the interview.  Plus, I think employers would be scared to hire someone that they knew was getting ready to have a baby and would need some time to adjust to being a mom.  In their minds they may think 'what if we hire her and then she decides to be be a SAHM.' Even if that's not an option for you, they don't know it.

I would give yourself a little time to adjust to being a mom.  Apply for unemployment since your job was terminated and look for a job after you have recovered from delivery.  Good luck.  I am sure that everything will work out. 

reb562

do it now...it takes a while to screen and have employers call you back.

daisy662

Start now for sure. By the time you get called for an interview, it could be a month from now. Remember, in this economy there are hundreds of applicants for every job which means 2 things - 1. it can take some time for an employer to weed through all of those aps/resumes and 2. there aren't many jobs out there so it could just take a while.

Good luck!

BeckyTheEngineer

Start now.  I am teaching some job hunting classes, and have been searching all of the listings in my area for some time now.  Some great jobs are posted one day, and by the end of the week are gone.  Of course I don't know what you do and your labor market, but you wouldn't want to miss out on a great opening.

Although, I would try to avoid a face-to-face interview right now, if you can get one.  If you do get interviews, try to see if you can phone interview, or skype.  I've had clients do this with great success. 

Also, as you know, you could have your baby now or in a month from now.  It obviously makes it hard to plan, but I would assume that it could be later, and plan to do as much as you can now. 

amatistajoy

I recommend starting now. Sometimes the process can be much longer than expected.

oliversmom03

jf198400:

In my experience, job hunting and interviewing can be a very long slow process, so I would definitely start now.  Plus it will be easier to work on your resume and cover letters now rather than when you are caring for a newborn.

This! I'm sorry that happened to you, and good luck on your job search, and new baby that will be arriving soon.

katiepurcell

Thanks for the insight, everyone! The situation sucks (they didn't cover this is what to expect...) but I am trying my best to stay positive. Resume and cover letter are updated and ready to start getting myself out there (virtually, anyways). While I am a little afraid of getting calls while I am in labor or hormonal post-labor, I will find some way to make it work.

northhillsbride

allisons1014:

Apply for unemployment since your job was terminated and look for a job after you have recovered from delivery.

I'm not so sure that she would qualify for Unemployment b/c they did offer her another job - she turned it down. That might null being able to collect.

That said, I would most definitely start applying now. In early 2010, I was laid off at 32 weeks pregnant with my second. It took over 125 applications and 8 months to land a job. (I'm in a good city with a lower unemployment rate, but I am in a niche of an industry, too.)

I'd say 95% of the time that I heard back, it would be weeks after I applied. Job postings tend to stay "active" for at least 2 weeks before the application process is closed. Also, about 95% of call-backs I got were with an HR rep, who did a preliminary interview on the phone; from there it would take at least another 2 weeks before I got an in-person interview (if I got that far). I did go on an in-person interview at 36 weeks pregnant, and another at 3.5 weeks after my c-section. You just do what you have to do.

Oh, and when doing the call with HR, I was always upfront about having a newborn at home; that way if the baby were to cry, they would know. I just reiterated that I wanted to work and that the job loss was out of my control. I would do what I had to do to get a new position.

Good luck, and I'm sorry. I know how stressful this can be!!

brewcitybride

IMO, I don't see the point of doing it now. It's stressful to job search and interview, and you don't need stress right now. You will have a baby probably within two weeks. You won't be going on interviews for a while. I would focus on the baby, as you say you have insurance and a little savings. But that's just me!

sooner1981

brewcitybride:

IMO, I don't see the point of doing it now. It's stressful to job search and interview, and you don't need stress right now. You will have a baby probably within two weeks. You won't be going on interviews for a while. I would focus on the baby, as you say you have insurance and a little savings. But that's just me!

 

I would have thought this before I had a baby--now, I realize that after the baby is born, you are going to be FAR more stressed, tired, anxious than you ever were when you were pregnant.  I would advise to take the next couple of weeks to get everything out there--then you can handle any calls for interviews, etc. once the baby has come. 

amatistajoy

sooner1981:

brewcitybride:

IMO, I don't see the point of doing it now. It's stressful to job search and interview, and you don't need stress right now. You will have a baby probably within two weeks. You won't be going on interviews for a while. I would focus on the baby, as you say you have insurance and a little savings. But that's just me!

 

I would have thought this before I had a baby--now, I realize that after the baby is born, you are going to be FAR more stressed, tired, anxious than you ever were when you were pregnant.  I would advise to take the next couple of weeks to get everything out there--then you can handle any calls for interviews, etc. once the baby has come. 

This. I had a lot of applications to complete online while DS was a newbord. I would have rather not, because I was completing them with one hand and it took 3 hours or a whole day just to complete one. I would have rather had some applications completed right before he was born. 

HotChocolate79

I'd get your resume and cover letter in top shape, and perhaps talk to headhunters.  However, I don't think I'd be applying for jobs.  Granted I had a really difficult third trimester, a c section, trouble BFing and definitely PPD mixed in for some fun.  There's no way in h*ll I could even think straight until I was 8 weeks PP.  If anyone tried to have a business conversation with me prior to that, they'd think I was incompetent, crazy, or both.  Sometimes you only have one chance at making a good impression; and it's best not to blow that by pursuing something before you are ready.

 Oh, and definitely apply for unemployment - chances are you'll get approved if the other job you were offered was substantially different in content, qualifications, or salary than the one you were terminated from.