Two "red flags": a mother on maternity leave and a novice tester. Junior QA asked if it would be realistic for her to find a job. IT-residents answered from their own experience

The girl does not claim that she has not found a job yet precisely because she has a child. «I just wanted to know if it is realistic to find a newbie a part-time job,» Ivanna adds. The tester is already participating in two projects as a volunteer.

Is «motherhood» taboo for IT?

• Java backend developer Maria Onufriychuk assures that no, it’s not taboo. At least for a developer with full-time experience. The developer herself found herself in a similar situation, but she had no problems finding a job either before or after pregnancy.

«Even before the formal interview, I warned that I had a 1-year-old child and that I would need to cooperate with the company, I met the e-char literally with the child in a sling. Then, before signing the contract, it turned out that I was pregnant. I also didn’t hide anything, I wrote to the e-char in the same email that we needed to talk. I immediately told the company about my pregnancy, and that they could refuse the offer due to a change in circumstances without any consequences and not sign the contract, I understand the risks and business value. They have already confirmed to me that the probationary period has been closed and I will go to work in August after maternity leave,» said Maria Onufriychuk.

However, the developer emphasized that during her pregnancy with a young child, she only had about 4 sick days in six months, making her a low-risk asset for the company even with children.

• AI Business Analyst Oksana Borysiuk is sure that a child is not a hindrance if the candidate has something to offer the company.

«Until my child was a year old, I worked part-time remotely, but at my old job. A year later, I changed jobs, became full-time, but with a flexible schedule. The main obstacle was that some vacancies only considered those who could travel to the office, and I also wanted to be closer to my child. In the end, I found a great job, even though my son came to the interview,» the analyst said from her own experience.

• HR and Recruiter Karina Bigal emphasizes that comments like «they won’t hire me because I have a child» are excuses. But she adds that this issue is currently relevant, because many girls who have small children turn to her with such questions.

«I also worked and work remotely with a child, so whoever seeks will find,» the recruiter is confident.

• Quality Assurance Analyst Yana Grechukha had a positive experience working with a child and during pregnancy.

«I worked throughout my pregnancy and I’m still working — my child is already three years old,» says the tester.

What IT professionals advise

Junior QA and a mother on maternity leave were given some tips for finding a job, because in Ivanna’s case, as IT experts emphasize, it can be difficult to get an offer primarily due to the specifics of the market.

Front end developer Artem Bohdan shares the same opinion. He believes that finding a job as a part-time remote manual worker is a two-star task in 2025. “ But everyone totally doesn’t care about the child. But, let’s say, you will be looking for a job until the child grows up,» the developer writes.

The most important thing for finding a job and the key to cooperation, according to Java Developer Anna Shchur, is:

• honesty — openly discuss your expectations and the company’s expectations with the employer;
• responsibility — which is important for the candidate to understand, because the product/project is also someone’s «child.»

Recruiter Natalia Hromadska emphasizes that in this situation it is important to objectively assess your own strengths and the amount of free time. According to her, it is important to understand how many hours the mother will be able to allocate to work, whether she is ready for a nanny or has support. But the recruiter advises not to write about the child in the resume, but rather to say in words during the interview if a special schedule is required.

«Because on the one hand, a mother on maternity leave wants to be fulfilled, and on the other hand, not every mother actually wants to work. I have seen more than one case where in words „yes, I’m ready“, but in fact — no. And this leads to the fact that some of the work is not completed on time. And it is normal not to be ready, because a small child takes up a lot of time and energy,» she adds.

Ivanna’s colleague, Junior QA Engineer Vira Glukhoveria, considers the question about the child to be discrimination. However, she advises the author to study English to the level of B1-B2. To which Recruitment Team Lead Anton Kolomiets says that the level of English is up to Upper-Intermediate. According to him, this will make it easier to find a position and pass the competition.

Experienced IT Recruiter Yulia Tkachenko advises adding top-notch test scores to this list. However, the recruiter emphasized that difficulties in finding a job will arise primarily because Ivanna entered the most competitive field in IT.

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