‘I was made to feel like I was lucky’: New mother on maternity leave left shocked after recruiters offered her entry-level jobs on $90,000 LESS than what she was earning
- A Sydney mother quit her job to go away on maternity leave for 12 months
- Alice Almeida had worked her way gradually up the ladder for 17 years
- She had a leadership role when she decided to take time off to have first baby
- She was then offered entry-level roles $90,000 less than what she was earning
- The new mother took to LinkedIn to vent her frustration following the offers
Alice Almeida had worked her way gradually up the ladder for 17 years to progress to a leadership position at a major media corporation
A new mother who quit her job to go on maternity leave has revealed her shock after recruiters offered her entry-level roles on $90,000 less than what she was earning.
Alice Almeida, from Sydney, had worked her way gradually up the ladder for 17 years to progress to a leadership position at a major media corporation.
After falling pregnant for the first time, she took time off work from May last year so she could give birth to her baby daughter, who was born two months later in July.
During her time as a stay-at-home mother, the career-driven woman said she decided to change her LinkedIn to ‘open for discussion’ in the hope of finding a potential job.
Alice – who’s a senior researcher, digital strategist and marketer – said she was approached by recruiters almost instantly but was only being offered entry-level jobs, far junior to the position she had held.
Alice said she was left shocked after being approached by recruiters who only offered her entry-level jobs, far junior to the position she had held
Speaking to Mumbrella, Alice said she was left ‘frustrated’ and ‘angry’ that recruiters would just assume she wanted to take a step back after having a baby.
‘A baby and eight months later, and I was expected to be appreciative that junior roles were even being made available for me,’ she said.
‘I was being made to feel like I was lucky to be offered these roles at all, that I should be grateful for anything that may come my way. After all, I was a mother now which evidently told the world that I no longer cared about my career.’
She said during one of the conversations she had with a recruiter, she was told she would be the ‘perfect’ candidate for a strategy job that needed just two years experience.
‘I appeared to be 13 years over-qualified, and the salary was $90,000 less than I earned in my last role prior to maternity leave,’ she said.
Alice took to her LinkedIn page to vent her frustration in a powerful post after being offered multiple entry-level jobs during her maternity leave.
After falling pregnant for the first time, she took time off work from May last year so she could give birth to her baby daughter (stock image)
‘After 17 years in the industry, with the last five years being in senior leadership positions, has my career and experience really been scratched because I took 12 months off to have a baby?’ she said in her LinkedIn post.
‘In the past few weeks, I have been chased by recruiters for four different roles. “Perfect fit” roles, according to them. However, all are junior, and all were paying at least $70k less than what I earned before I went on leave.’
When she asked the recruiters whether they had looked at her profile prior to offering her the junior role, Alice was given multiple excuses.
‘”I’m assuming you’re wanting something slow paced and less demanding”, or this doozy “digital has changed a lot in a year so you might not be at the top of the game anymore”,’ Alice said.
‘This should not be a thing. Ever. I now understand why so many women leave media and advertising after having a baby. I won’t be, but I now get why so many do.’
Since speaking out, Alice said she has been bombarded with job offers from organisations who have taken her senior title into consideration.