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Original poster

Maternity Leave off my CV (!!!how rude!!!)

30 replies

piccolamamma · 07/12/2006 00:18

there always has to be one who spoils it for everyone else.. in this case a recruiter who told me to take Maternity Leave off my CV all together. (And everyone else had been so modern and normal). I was v.polite but will not take ML off my CV as that would be SOO ridiculous. Anyone else had similar experiences with future bosses or recruiters after becoming mothers? (Are these people completely mad?) Or are things slowly improving - is this really a one off?
lol

OP posts:

Quootiepie · 07/12/2006 00:20

sorry, but why is your maternity leave on your CV?

Quootiepie · 07/12/2006 00:20

genuine Q by the way! Not having a go, if people think you shouldnt, or something like that.

feelingfedup · 07/12/2006 21:57

I don't put it on my CV. Don't see the point, it won't help me get a job.

Gingerbear · 07/12/2006 22:01

presumably to explain a gap in employment?
During Mat leave are you not still employed? In which case, why not put that time down as being with the employer?

MistletoeGolightly · 07/12/2006 22:14

I agree with Gingerbear - while you are on mat leave you are still with your employer so just count it as one continuous period of employment - doesn't matter that you were on maternity leave, none of the interviewer's business.

But I agree it's sad that recruiters think it will spoil your chances of getting a job. Would like to think we're beyond that.

hatwoman · 07/12/2006 22:30

I've never put mine down. and, because of changing jobs after dd1 there is, on close examination, a 7 month "gap", but have never even been asked about it. with dd2 my mat leave is just part of my continuous employment, like others here have said

hatwoman · 07/12/2006 22:32

and I don't think it;s ridiculous or reactionary to leave it off. your cv is there to provide employers with relevant information. mat leave is irrelevant. which is as it should be

Judy1234 · 08/12/2006 09:52

I thought you were still employed in that period just like if you were off sick but you wouldn't put on the CV - laid up for a month in bed iwth a bad back would you? If instead you took 6 years out to look after children then that's a different matter.

RanToTheHills · 08/12/2006 13:02

take the advice - a recruiter will know what works, she/he hasn't got an axe to grind, they'll just telling it how it is. I have never put mat leave on my cv - why? It's not going to help, is it? Be realistic! I know it's not fair but nor is the world.

hatwoman · 08/12/2006 13:05

I don;t think it's unfair - mat leave is not relevant. leave it off.

ParanoidSurreyHousewife · 08/12/2006 13:09

Have to say I really wouldn't expect to see maternity leave on a cv - unless it resulted in a career break.

It is not that I think that you should hide the fact that you have children - I just don't think that they're relevant for a cv.

tribpot · 08/12/2006 13:13

I've got various gaps on my CV which are not maternity-related, I don't offer any explanation for them unless specifically asked to (since the true explanation would be "couldn't be arsed working" and I doubt that will impress a potential employer! Btw, I'm talking about time off between contracts, not claiming benefits or anything of that sort).

In fact I have one gap which I describe as "return to UK from Sweden". It's five months long

eemie · 08/12/2006 13:29

Wouldn't put mine on any more than I put my marital status.

Ilovestnicholas · 08/12/2006 13:34

Maternity leave counts as continuous service and is not relevant on a CV.

PortAndLemonaid · 08/12/2006 13:35

I agree it has no place on your CV. You were still employed throughout that period and you don't list, say, sick leave on your CV (Hmm... "May 28-June 1, 2006: Nasty case of stomach flu. Key responsibilities included maintaining a proactive relationship with the lavatory bowl and lying around moaning a lot").

If you are talking about a career break rather than maternity leave then that's different.

Original poster

piccolamamma · 11/12/2006 11:39

Interesting. Very interesting. So no other Mums (at least ones who have posted this thread) put ML on their CV; saying its part of continuous employment with previous employer.

What about a career break though (gat one of those too), the gap will cause questions and in my industry I'll definately be asked they'll find out re dd and then the whole pre-filtering of sexist/ageist employers takes longer does it not?
After all I am working to improve QOL not make it worse. No I think its better to lay the cards down from the begining. Don't think ML is comprable to being off sick or crapping in the loo either (!pleeeaazzzeee!!). Looking after your child ft for a number of months/years means many things
that are relevant to how you cope and interact with people and we do work with other people so I think that the life and work experience of being a ft Mother is very relevant to the human side of work culture - even in the private sector.

I do though think its sad that mothers themselves seem to perpetuate sexism/ageism in the work place by starting off with the assumption that by stating that you took ML will impede changes of employment (I have to date not found this to be the case - appart from with twiddledum last week) I got one contract with a boss who had children of the same age which meant that before hiring me he understood the kind of extra skills I as a mother
would bring to a team. Doing 500 different things at the same time on 3 hours interrupted sleep while not loosing your temper one of many things I could list.

OP posts:

RanToTheHills · 12/12/2006 09:27

yes, yes of course, you're hardly alone! If you feel so strongly then put it down! Personally I don't think it would help me - your situation may be different, esp with a lengthy career break. Currently too exhausted myself from juggling work/home/2 kids/lazy husband to worry about sexism/ageism. They exist. that's life.

julienetmum · 12/12/2006 09:59

I don't put it on either. I class my previous emploiyment as ending the date I told my company I was not returning from ML. As my current employment started just a couple of weeks later I would just state reason for changing jobs was re-locating from West Midlands to Staffordshire the same as I put down a small gap between leaving uni and starting my first full time job.

It is nothing to do with perpetuating sexism, it is that I honestly class myself as being employed (and so did my employer) during that time.

mellowchristmas · 12/12/2006 10:07

I put ML on my CV but that's because I do contract work. It wouldn't make sense for me to say that I was still working for the firm that I was working for pre-dd. If I were in permanent employment, I would add that to the length of time I was with my employers.

Therefore, I do think it depends on the kind of work and industry you work in.

Gingerbear · 12/12/2006 10:17

but ML and a career break are two separate issues.
During ML, you are still in employment.
A career break - you can explain your life choices if you wish. I would state the reason for the career break on a CV, but not offer any more such as 'Key responsibilities- doing 500 tasks at once, etc' that defines the role of a mother. It may be relevant in that you are maintaining work skills, but IMO, interviwers will see through this and most will say 'Oh, she took 5 years off to look after the kids' which is what it is.

ParanoidSurreyHousewife · 12/12/2006 10:21

piccola, it is not about viewing that it "impedes my empluyment prospects", but more that it doesn't really belong to a section where I am setting out what my previous jobs were. And I think that trying to "sell" it by indicating all the extra skills is why it would false. Or do you expect men to put their 2 week paternity leave on their cv? Or do you think that they don't acquire any new skills through parenting?

ParanoidSurreyHousewife · 12/12/2006 10:22

Yes, I've got a career break, so list the ways in which I've kept my skills up to date (eg training courses, short term assignments, professional reading etc).

justaphase · 12/12/2006 10:22

If you feel this strongly about it - put it on. It will tell prospective employers something about you which may save you and them the trouble of finding out several months down the line when a relationship will be more difficult to unwind.

I personally don't put mine on.

Gingerbear · 12/12/2006 10:26

Much better to add things as paranoidsurreyhousewife has stated that are relevant to your employment. It also shows prospective employers that you are motivated to keep you skills up to date during your time out of employment.

Brandybuttershott · 12/12/2006 10:30

Personally I don't put my maternity leave on, other than including it in my total time with employer. However, when DD was smaller (under 3) I did put my family situation on my CV because I wanted people to know in advance what they were taking on, and to explain why I'd changed from being employed to self-employed. Now I've been self-employed for 4 years, and DD's age no longer stops me doing anything (touring for example) I don't see it as relevant, so I've taken it off.

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