Applying for jobs while on maternity leave

[Anonymous]

jindc wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are all of you first time moms? Because you have very high expectations of what you will accomplish on maternity leave.

You might also underestimate how many of us don't wish to return to the jobs we currently have. IF it's a priority to find another job, you can make it happen.

Certainly. But it was a priority when I was on maternity leave to get through the day without human waste on my clothes.

[jindc]

good thing that applying for jobs doesn't involve wearing a fancy outfit. Just a computer.
for most women with family obligations, there's never a good time for trying to change jobs - something always comes up. That's how I see it. I definitely could be wrong, but it's also a "now or never" type of thing, especially when trying to get out of the government.

[Anonymous]

jindc wrote:good thing that applying for jobs doesn't involve wearing a fancy outfit. Just a computer.
for most women with family obligations, there's never a good time for trying to change jobs - something always comes up. That's how I see it. I definitely could be wrong, but it's also a "now or never" type of thing, especially when trying to get out of the government.

I'm with the previous poster. Have you already been on mat leave with your first? I was just in no shape whatsoever to pursue a serious job search - I applied for a job a few months out and realized later that my materials were studded with typos - and that wasn't even in the very first muddled post-baby weeks. Maybe there's "never a good time" but I would warn posters who don't yet have a kid that this might be a worse than average one.

If you've done it successfully, more power to you, but it's hard enough having a new baby. Don't expect to also pull off an intense job search and clean out all the closets.

[Anonymous]

I started when my second child was 6 weeks old. I knew I didn't want to go back. It was a natural transition time for me at work.

I did get a sitter for 5-10 hours per week. I used the kid-free time to put together applications, networked by phone and email, and did interviews. Being able to give undivided attention without waiting for the baby to wake up from a nap was worth it.

[Anonymous]

i'm one of the pps who interviewed while on leave. it was my second child (who was surprisingly easier than my first!) so you can't always assume the early days of motherhood with an infant are always the same.