# Putting Motherhood on your Resume/Discrimination Against Moms



## cwaddick (Oct 16, 2002)

Hey Yall, I recently applied for a job... Everyone who looked at my resume... saw the period of time that I was less productive (due to being a mother of three) and either (1) assumed that I was not a productive worker or (2) realized that I was a mother and assumed that I would not be a productive worker.

TACT A: So, the personal is political...
TACT B: But, there is also reality.

TACT A: I am thinking about putting my motherhood onto my CV by declaring and claiming my motherhood as worthy experience.

TACT B: I recognize that cultural discrimination against mothers is very significant. So, maybe I should not mention it since it would very likely work against my getting a job.

What do you all think? What would you do? If you would put your motherhood on your CV, what would you write?

I will post for TACT A: the text I am thinking about using.
I will post for TACT B: the empirical research that supports my contention that mothers face discrimination in the workplace.

Cheers,
Caitlin


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## Gendenwitha (Apr 2, 2002)

I had motherhood on my resume for a while. I wouldn't reccomend it, I think the idea came more from my insecurity. Next job I got I went to a professional resume preparer who helped me write a fantastic resume highlighting my long list of skills at the top with job history (including volunteer history which overlapped my at home time) at the bottom. I couldn't afford her set prices (about $250) so I asked if I could buy an hour of her time for her to go over the resume I had. I think she charged me $50, and gave me a freebie 1/2 hour after I'd re-written it to check it over. VERY much worth it.

Also, you could avoid putting dates on your degree if you have one. I'm going to have a three to five year gap or so on my resume now because I'm going to college in my 30's.


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## cwaddick (Oct 16, 2002)

source: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/...hers.dea.html*
Aug. 4, 2005
Mothers face disadvantages in getting hired, Cornell study says
By Daniel Aloi

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Mothers looking for employment face disadvantages, including being less likely to be hired, being offered lower salaries and facing a perception that they would be less committed to a job than fathers or women without children, according to an experiment conducted by researchers at Cornell University.

Shelley Correll

"What got me interested in this topic to begin with was research done mostly by economists that showed women with children earned lower wages than women without children, even though they had similar jobs and similar backgrounds," said Shelley J. Correll, associate professor of sociology at Cornell. "This research shows that you earn less if you have one child, even less if you have two, and so on."

Correll and graduate student Stephen Benard will present their findings in a report, "Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty?" on Aug. 15 at the American Sociological Association's 100th annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Suspecting that discrimination may play a factor in the lower wages of mothers, the researchers created hypothetical job seekers with resumes and other materials, and 192 Cornell undergraduates were asked to evaluate them as candidates for a position as marketing director for a start-up communications company.

"We created two applicant profiles that were functionally equivalent," Correll said. "Their resumes were very strong; they were very successful in their last jobs. In pretesting, no one preferred one applicant over the other; they were seen as equally qualified."

Next a memo was added to one of the profiles, mentioning that the applicant was a mother of two children, and her resume was modified to show that she was an officer in a parent-teacher association. The memo and resume in the second applicant's materials made no mention of children.

When asked if they would hire these applicants, participants said they would hire 84 percent of the women without children, compared with only 47 percent of the mothers. In assigning a starting salary to the applicants, given a pay range appropriate for the job, participants offered non-mothers an average of $11,000 more than mothers.

"According to our theory, women who have children are held to a harsher performance standard than women who do not. We asked how many days the applicant could be late before they would not be seen as 'management material,' and the mothers were allowed significantly fewer days than non-mothers," said Correll, whose courses include the Sociology of Gender. She also is a faculty affiliate of Cornell's Center for the Study of Inequality.

Correll and Benard also studied perceptions of fatherhood in evaluations of male job candidates. Participants were given the same information in the resumes and memos and were asked the same questions, but men's names replaced women's on the applications.

"The question is, are mothers the ones who suffer a penalty, or is it parents?" Correll said. "We found fathers are in no way disadvantaged. And, on several measures they are actually advantaged, such as being seen as more committed to their jobs than non-fathers."

Participants offered applicants who were fathers an average of $6,000 more in salary than the non-fathers, and "fathers were allowed to be late more frequently. They were actually held to a more lenient standard than the non-fathers." Correll said.

There was no difference in how men and women evaluators rated the applicants, she said.

"We're not saying employers discriminate against mothers because they don't like them; motherhood is a role held in very high esteem in our society," Correll said. What the findings do indicate, she said, is that "cultural ideas of motherhood are seen as pretty incompatible with cultural ideas of the workplace. Since fatherhood is not seen as incompatible with the workplace, employers do not hold fathers to a harsher performance standard.

"The results support the idea that mothers, but not fathers, are discriminated against in workplace-type evaluations," she said.

Correll also noted that with recent changes "over the last 10 years, particularly among Fortune 500 companies, there are now good work-family programs in place, such as paid maternity leave and flexible work arrangements. Companies know that if they want to keep good employees, they need to think about how to retain women employees as well as men.

"We expect that if a company has well-developed work-family policies and programs, those making hiring decisions for the company would be less likely to discriminate against mothers," she said.

To test this idea, Correll plans to repeat the experiment, but this time with a family-friendly model for the hiring company. "This will allow us to assess whether evaluators' responses change for job applicants with children," Correll said.

She also said the motherhood penalty study could be repeated -- and similar results expected -- with actual employers participating.

"Past research has found that undergraduates and actual managers rate job applicants very similarly. They look at the same kinds of things," Correll said. "But it is still important to replicate the study with employers."

The study was supported, in part, by Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences.


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## Ellien C (Aug 19, 2004)

well, personally, I wouldn't put it on there if I was actually looking for a job and needed one. I suppose I might do it to make a political point. Since this is posted in activism, I assume you're interested in making a point? Hey go for it! But know that raising awareness about something and getting a job are 2 different things. I believe that I read somewhere that fatherhood works "For" men in that they are seen as more responsible workers than non-fathers. I can't quote the research, though.


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## fluffernutter (Dec 8, 2002)

I'm right there with you. I haven't worked in 4 years and now I'm single and NEED a job. Not just any job, a decent paying job. Because we all know that it's pointless to work for minimum wage just to turn around and spend it all on childcare. But I digress.

I actually did use it on a couple resumes I sent to childcare centers, and then one to a home health care place. I don't put it on the others though, and I haven't really gotten any bites yet.







I just applied at a couple temp agencies and I think (hope) that will help me get back into the workforce.


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## amydidit (Jan 21, 2005)

I was told by a resume writer that you can list certain motherhood skills (like proficiency at multitasking) under *Profile Summary* or *Additional Skills*... it was also suggested to leave off the dates of your employment, only provide those if directly asked. That way they don't intially know you have gaps due to motherhood... that's what I started doing and have been having better luck.


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## Mama Dragon (Dec 5, 2005)

FYI, something that has worked for me that someone else might try is list that period of motherhood-only work as "Self Employed". Granted, I AM self employed, but anyone can list it. Do you sew? Say you were a seamstress. Do you cook? Say you had a catering business. Etc. The reason for "quitting" I listed as "still working, need to supplement income" I applied at a couple places when I thought I'd need a job and got immediate call backs, they were quite impressed with my app/resume.


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## tayndrewsmama (May 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Synthea™*
FYI, something that has worked for me that someone else might try is list that period of motherhood-only work as "Self Employed". Granted, I AM self employed, but anyone can list it. Do you sew? Say you were a seamstress. Do you cook? Say you had a catering business. Etc. The reason for "quitting" I listed as "still working, need to supplement income" I applied at a couple places when I thought I'd need a job and got immediate call backs, they were quite impressed with my app/resume.

How exactly would someone explain that when the potential employer looks up the "business" and finds no record of it with the state?


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## Mama Dragon (Dec 5, 2005)

I've never had that happen. I do (or did, I'm getting out of it) website design and don't need a license or business name registration, so there's no record of it in any goverment office (I didn't make enough to even have to file taxes on it). Same when I did daycare, until I got registered with the state so I could take a parent's daycare assistance payments.


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## tayndrewsmama (May 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Synthea™*
I've never had that happen. I do (or did, I'm getting out of it) website design and don't need a license or business name registration, so there's no record of it in any goverment office (I didn't make enough to even have to file taxes on it). Same when I did daycare, until I got registered with the state so I could take a parent's daycare assistance payments.

Perhaps that varies depending on the state you live in then. I recently looked into this with the state of Wisconsin and while you don't necessarily have to have a federal tax id number, you do have to have your business listed with the state. They say it's to avoid having people with duplicate business names in the same area, but I am sure there's more to it than that. Basically, in this state, unless you follow the "rules" it's not a legit business and I wouldn't try to imply that on a resume, at least not in WI I wouldn't. The last thing you'd want to do is destroy your credibility. It might be better for one to list their "catering" experience under interests or something else like that.


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## BassaiDai (Apr 24, 2006)

Interesting discussion.


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## frenchie (Mar 21, 2006)

I had a friend that went to Planned Parenthood to get a pap smear and BC pills because her medical insurance didn't cover BC pills. She filled out all of the forms, and under job description she put "stay at home mom" The reason being is because they base your "donation" price on your income. They were dirt poor at the time as it was. Anyhow, the lady at the front desk told her, in a very snarky tone, that being a SAHM isn't a job. My friend just looked at her and said..."then what would YOU call it?" The lady shot back at her..."well, you don't work, you stay at home all day and watch your kids...how do you consider that work?"







My friend is Italian, from the East Coast....she's LOUD!!! Needless to say she "schooled" that lady on just how much WORK it is to be a SAHM, the skill involved, the loooong days AND nights. The fact that it's a 24 hour a day job....she doesn't get to clock out at 5pm and sit in front of the TV and crack open a bottle of wine and relax. The lady was left speechless, and my frind got her pills for free









I'm amazed at the complete disregard for mothers and what it takes to raise a child. Do people REALLY forget who brought them up?


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## amydidit (Jan 21, 2005)

I'm currently searching for a job and encountering the same thing. As I mentioned in my previous post I was advised to leave dates off because of bringing up red flags... well, now I know for sure that's true. I was called in for an interview based on my skills and all that... went in and they asked for the dates of my previous jobs. I gave them the dates and they immediately questioned why I had gaps... I explained I had been staying home raising my children... not good enough for them... I was told "Thanks, but we're looking for someone who has *fresh* skills." All because I haven't been working since November 2004... well sheesh! Just because I haven't been PAID for working doesn't mean I've become stale.

It just pisses me off SO much that it's made so hard for moms who want/need to return to work.


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## Gitti (Dec 20, 2003)

What is wrong with this picture that you are (all) describing?

In most European countries women who stay at home with a child for 3 years are not only able to put that on their resume without any negative consequences but they also get the 3 years counted toward retirement.

Something is very wrong here.


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## tayndrewsmama (May 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gitti*
What is wrong with this picture that you are (all) describing?

In most European countries women who stay at home with a child for 3 years are not only able to put that on their resume without any negative consequences but they also get the 3 years counted toward retirement.

Something is very wrong here.

It's an obvious piece of evidence showing this country's increasing disconnect with family bonds and values.


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## Lazyhead (Mar 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tayndrewsmama*
It's an obvious piece of evidence showing this country's increasing disconnect with family bonds and values.


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## PDean (Apr 23, 2006)

Our country does not value our families like other places do. There are two countries in the United Nations that have refused to sign the the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United States being one, and Somolia, with no organized government, being the second.
That speaks volumes for what SAHM are up against.


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## peacelovingmama (Apr 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PDean*
Our country does not value our families like other places do. There are two countries in the United Nations that have refused to sign the the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United States being one, and Somolia, with no organized government, being the second.
That speaks volumes for what SAHM are up against.

This is truly frightening. Are we so blinded by sexism that we fail to realize that SAHMs are busy raising the next generation? The next generation of our leaders, businesswomen/men, scientists, teachers, etc.?? The zero respect accorded childrearing in this country utterly baffles me.


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## Danelle78 (Dec 29, 2005)

Quote:

There is a silent crisis in America. Mothers and families are in trouble. The wage gap between mothers and non-mothers is now greater than between women and men: One study found non-mothers earn 10% less than their male counterparts; mothers earn 27% less; and single mothers earn between 44% and 34% less.

This wage hit has a direct impact on families--a full quarter of families with children under six live in poverty, at least 9 million children don't have any health care, and far too many parents can't afford to stay home with sick children. Working toward common sense family-friendly policies like those covered in The Motherhood Manifesto will help all families.
http://www.momsrising.org/petition/f...r4eJPlwgdg&t=5


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## stirringleaf (Mar 16, 2002)

I came over to the activism board to start a conversation about feminism and motherhood. I wanted to explore my thoughts, feelings , input, information about my soon-to-be ex husband's attitude toward him "working and paying the bills" and me ' staying at home, getting to do what i want"

this argument has broken up my marriage becasue it has festerd and become the root of about 5,000 other problems. i dont want to talk about my marriage here of course, but what i am saying is i never , and i mean NEVER understood the depths and origins of feminism's message until i became a mother.

And now as we break up and he moves out, i face the reality of what it means to be a "single mom" and whatnot. Anyway i read this thread and it really made me mad, and made me cry.

Thanks for posting the studies. I hope there are more resources posted here soon.

As for activism, I am going to do an art project on this subject, and show it locally. I make artist books also so i might make a book and in which case i will let you all know on this thread when it is done if you are interested. It might be a month or so, though.


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## cwaddick (Oct 16, 2002)

Just thought I'd get back to you all on the text I chose to use in my resume. I created a special section called "Personal," and put in this text. The resume that I just circulated had "Nurtured, breastfed, and raised...." which shouldn't have been in the past tense, but the present, I think. I felt comfortable saying "complex" and the rest of it because of my personal circumstances... I have moved three times in five years, while nursing or pregnant. My husband is Pakistani, and we have done some traveling. His parents have visited us in the U.S. twice, each time staying for 6 months-ish. They are moderate Muslims; I am Unitarian Universalist; DH is Buddhist-leaning (or infidel if you are Muslim). So, our situation has been moderately to very, very stressful. We've been sick a lot, which has led me to learn a lot about alternative medicine too! And, I've been enrolled in school full-time the whole time... working toward my doctoral degree. So, I am exhausted. But, I really do feel that I was (on my job interview in January) and would be discriminated against in the workplace for motherhood issues.

So, I think that maybe I shouldn't have put "Wife and Mother" on the resume that I circulated. Even my own reading of my resume is impressive until I read that I am a wife and mother, and then I feel I am diminished! I mean, I find that I share our culture's perspective on wives and mothers! Without wanting too, I feel that I am lesser of a job candidate when I read my resume with the "Wife and Mother" text.

Gays and lesbians took back the word "queer" from great depths of derogatory meaning (in the 50s) to a word of pride for many today... so I want to engender that same pride in "wife" and "mother." I want to *be* the change that I want to see in the world.

However, I do want to add that I am confident in my ability to get a job despite the potential discrimination based on the text in my resume.... and that maybe I don't want a job in the places where I would face the most discrimination anyway. So, probably, I wouldn't have done it if I were a single mom truly desperate for the job. I actually depend on my husband's income and foresee doing that for some time until the right job comes along.

Back to the text again... I have a question for you all. I went out of my way to be succinct and to try to "trump up" the positive characteristics, such as complex management skills, and a few activist issues, such as breastfeeding and natural mothering. Is that "too much information?" Or, does it help to place me politically so that I can end up working with like-minded people?

As an aside, I had nothing else in the Personal section, which I did before I became a mother. I could have also added "Hobbyist" for instance and stated some hobbies or special interests... I couldn't think of any that I currently have... as it seems that motherhood has taken all of my extra energy away... but really, I could have said that I am into photography since I take pictures of the kids or cooking since I am also devising new ways to make recipes wheat-free and sugar-free... I like to learn new languages. I like crossword puzzles and Scrabble. I could add "Scrabble-player." I used to be into origami. I do artwork, if you count that I make my own Valentine's Day cards each year. I do have my own website, though I haven't worked on it in the past five years and the links are broken.

I think I would like to keep the "Wife and Mother" text, and add some other text in the "Personal" section. Hmm. What could I put? "Member, Mothering.Com and other parenting groups, 2001-present." The text could be, uhm... "Committed to making a difference in the lives of women and children by helping them to realize their goals." ... Isn't that what we are doing by creating a mothering community and participating in it through discussions? Resumes are all about casting our mundane activities in an extraordinary light, right?

-- Caitlin

*
********
Personal

Wife and Mother, 2001-present
Nurturing, breastfeeding, and raising my children naturally and fun-lovingly, while managing complex household affairs in multilingual, interfaith, and international settings.
*


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