In one of my online courses, we were discussing the online presence of professionals, specifically for instructors and professors. How you conduct yourself beyond the scope of online portfolios and blogs, such as in social media, can say a lot about you as a professional and a role model. One of my peers raised concerns about displaying family photos within social media, such as facebook, while job hunting, she was concerned that if potential employers knew she had a family with children, then she would be less desirable as a candidate. Now, although this may be been true (either with conscious and unconscious intentions for employers), I believe the gender gap between men and women in the work force is steadily closing if not already obsolete in many industries and disciplines. Take for instance the maternity leave, although a working mom does have to take a maternity leave of 6-13 weeks (in the U.S.) depending on company policy and if there were complications with delivery (there really is just no physical way around this) a number of companies are offsetting the maternity leave gender difference by allowing (and paying for) fathers to also take a paternity leave (usually not as long, but it is a start). Also, I believe companies and universities are starting to value and recognize the multifaceted abilities that a working mom brings to the table. Not only are we able to superbly balance home life (where we have to be tutors, chefs, maids, nurses, companions, therapists, accountants and sometimes vets), but we can bring our multitasking and creative problem solving skills to the workplace. I think hiding our family and our home life not only does an injustice to ourselves and our family but also doesn't give a potential employer the whole picture of you as a person. And ask yourself, if a company passed on your resume simply because your Facebook profile picture showcases the toothy grin of a spaghetti covered toddler... is that really a company in which you want to work at anyway?
1 Comment
Cindy Raisor
7/16/2014 10:55:52 pm
Your post is very encouraging for those of us who have families and work full time outside the home. The last sentence is also instructive in that it prompts parents to consider the family friendliness of the places they are seeking employment. An unhappy parent (resulting from a workplace unsympathetic to the demands and rewards of family responsibilities) will likely not make a productive employee. In family-friendly workplaces, everybody wins!
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Kate HaydenAs an educator, researcher, wife and mother, I am dedicated to developing and assessing innovations in chemistry education, medical diagnostics, and the biophysical characterization of non-helical DNA structures found in the non-coding regions of the genome. Archives
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