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Maybe they turned you down because you are overqualified, not because you are pregnant?

@jedeve: Companies don't like to hire people who are overqualified because they worry that they won't stay at the job very long...

My company will not hire someone who is overqualified for the position. They feel that the person would try to angle for responsibilities different from that which they were hired for and eventually become dissatisfied, quit, etc.

Regardless, sorry that you didn't get the job.

I think its a combination of both reasons (pregnancy + being over qualified) I agree that companies regularly reject job applicants who are overqualified, because they know you will be looking for something better soon and some managers are intimidated by people who have better qualifications than them

It isnt fair or legal but usually if you tell them you are pregnant and are immediately asking for time off then they wont hire you.

Overqualified or not, I can totally see why you're upset. Maternity leave isn't mandatory, but FMLA leave (if you're in the US) is guaranteed to any employee of a firm more than 50 people.

Once you've cooled down (it would be a couple weeks for me), maybe you can call or email the person who interviewed you and ask for a more detailed explanation of why you weren't hired- I've had people do that to me when I was hiring for a position and they've framed it as wanting to know what they can do better in their next interview. Obviously no one is going to come out and say "it's because you're pregnant!", but you might get a little better feel for what they were thinking.

Grrrrr to this situation.... you deserve some chocolate and a bubble bath!

I'm so sorry you didn't get the job. It sucks to be looking for work, and it must be that much harder as a pregnant lady. As bummed as you are, remember how that awful lady made you cry during the interview - she likely would make you cry as her employee. I've found that even horrible people try to make a nice impression during interviews, so if she was horrible then, she'll be worse as a boss. You might have dodged a bullet.

Good luck with your search!

Eek. That sucks, I'm sorry!! Jobs do not want to hire people who are over qualified because they expect to be paid more. (Don't mean that directed towards you, just from my own company experience) They want young, uneducated, or just barley qualified people so they can 1. pay them less and 2. train them how they want them to work, not have to deal with them already knowing how stuff is done, and it not working for the new company.

Sorry you didn't get it!!

sorry to hear this!

@Maysprout: I like this solution. It doesn't mean she has to sue or anything but it also means that hopefully it won't happen again. I have been trying to think of something that would be helpful and I love your idea.

I was the recipient of blatant pregnancy discrimination and I didn't do anything about it and wish I had now.

@Maysprout: I agree as well. The fact that she asked you to elaborate on the pregnancy could have been a factor in rejecting you for the job. It only would have been appropriate to ask once you're hired. It's discrimination...not sure how it works in the US, but it would definitely be qualified for a complaint in Canada. This is why interviews should be conducted with the HR person in the room, and not the hiring manager...drives me bonkers!

You know, the more I think about this, the more it sucks. I just read where you said she started spending so much of the interview on the pregnancy. I revise my opinion on why they turned you down. I would absolutely do something about this, though I completely understand if you wouldn't want to stress yourself out like that. I like @Maysprout's idea a lot. This whole thing is even more upsetting that a woman treated you that way. Ugh.

Couple things...

First, I think your career counselor was WAY off on advising them first. I'm assuming this is a regular job and not a temp or contract one. But, unless you're visibly pregnant, I would not mention it until you get a job offer. Because once they make the offer, they really can't go back on it. Since this was a phone interview, I wouldn't have mentioned it either way. When I was looking for a job when I was engaged (and even now married), I never wore my ring(s). I didn't want them to think the size meant I didn't need money or as high of a salary. And now married, I don't want them to automatically think I'm on the immediate mommy path.

Second, I think it was entirely inappropriate for the interviewer to ask you about your pregnancy. See here: http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/forms/whatyoucanandcantasklongversionmay05.pdf And I really don't know why the career counselor would have recommended you offer that information? Was she new/young? Maybe she didn't know?

If all of the pregnancy stuff hadn't come up, I would've thought you weren't hired because you were overqualified. Despite your reasons for wanting the job, they may fear that you will leave slash not stay long-term because you're overqualified. It sucks, but one thing you might want to consider if you're finding yourself overqualified for a lot of the jobs that are ideal for life/parenting, censor your resume a little. Not ideal, I know, but sometimes a better approach. A friend needed a 2nd job after law school and no one wanted to hire an attorney for Borders, Starbucks, retail department stores, etc. so she changed her resume a little (not lying, just carefully editing) so she didn't appear as overqualified.

Good luck! Let us know what you end up doing

If I were you, I think I would not only send a complaint letter to HR of the company you interviewed with BUT I would also send one to the career agency you were working with. Even call the counselor's supervisor to tell them as well.

@jedeve: That's ridiculous. That makes their motivation even more clear.