When maternity cover roles appear on employment sites or come through peer recommendation, some job seekers dismiss them in favour of hunting for a permanent role.
It is understandable. A long-term placement can be more secure, and with short-term contracts there is a sense that the job is never really your own to behold.
Despite this, I’ve taken on two maternity positions in my media career, both of which have been incredible life experiences. They have led to new skills and have helped propel me into new directions.
The first was a year-long role as a fashion journalist in London. I couldn’t believe my luck. The job was a heady mix of reporting on international fashion catwalks, industry trade shows, producing photo shoots and writing about designers. It was fast paced, creative and demanding, and there were some memorable fashion personalities to navigate along the way.
The second contract, my most recent role, was as acting editor of business news website SmartCompany (sister site to Women’s Agenda). I leapt into digital editing, managing a team and tackling breaking stories in the business world.
Hosting events, media appearances and HR lessons were in the mix, ensuring my CV got a dynamite injection of fresh skills.
I knew from the get-go that each role was temporary. I would have a brief handover with the mother-to-be, babysit the position for an allocated time, then hand it back at the end of my tenure.
I understood that each role would never truly be ‘mine’. The time I invested may, or may not, result in an ongoing offer with each company.
I plunged in anyway, but what have I learned about maternity cover roles?
Taking one on requires recognition and acceptance that you are, to a degree, a “caretaker”. But these roles also require an abundance of positivity and dedication. To succeed you can’t have the mindset that ‘things don’t matter, I’m just the fill in’.
Rather, giving 100% commitment, being willing to learn and also bringing unique skills to the company will make sure it is a chance to step out of your comfort zone. You never know what opportunities will unfold at the end.
Here are 10 tips from what I’ve learned from maternity cover roles that should ensure you can shine if one comes your way.
- Insist on a handover week
In my first maternity cover, I didn’t get a handover which meant I was muddling through for longer than I should have. In my second, I was blessed with a week to play shadow. I received thorough handover notes, got to see the role in action, meet the team properly, and I felt much more confident when flying solo.
- Life is not a dress rehearsal – commit
Why spend a chunk of your life thinking ‘it’s not my real job’? Give it your all, and the skills you gain, people you meet and challenges you overcome will take you to new heights. There’s no need to get too emotionally attached, but being half-baked won’t benefit the company or your future.
- Don’t be them, be you
Was the woman you took over from amazing? A high achiever and well liked? Probably. But don’t be intimidated by history. No doubt you beat many applicants to the contract, so you must have skills the company want to harness, and want to see you bring into play. Trust your judgment, and be yourself, without worrying about how you are compared.
- Be braced for resistance
Some people on the team will see you as a temporary boss, and may resist changes you try to implement, or dislike the different approach you take to their “real” boss or colleague. Don’t take it to heart. If you are acting appropriately and presenting sensible ideas, the resistance is for them to overcome, not for you to fight. You are in fact, the “real” person inhabiting that role, so they need to accept it or waste their own energy.
- Expand your skills
A maternity cover role is an ideal way to leap into a new business or a new sector, and grow your skill set. It could be a chance to manage difficult people, delve into fresh technologies, or attend conferences that you would otherwise not have access to. Being able to tell a future employee what you gained, changed and implemented in just a short period will no doubt impress.
- Document as you go
Be sure to build a file filled with hand-back notes over the course of the year. You may think it will be easy to jot them all down on the last day, but you may forget a lot of the important changes, issues, staff concerns and goals that were set in the early stages.
- Keep in touch
Your best resource in times of trouble is the person for whom you are filling in. Admittedly they will be tied up in the early days of motherhood, but in my experience they have welcomed an occasional query via email, or call to update them regarding staff or organisational changes. Appropriate contact can benefit you both.
- Network wisely
As a maternity cover contractor, you will always have in the back of your mind, ‘what’s next’? There is an end-date looming, but you can be prepared by networking smartly. Express your interests, perform well so people are happy to recommend you, let people know when your tenure is ending, and be sure to refresh your LinkedIn profile with your new abilities.
- Reflect and plan
A maternity cover role is a brilliant time to think through your career aspirations, fill in skills gaps and be mentally ready for the direction you’d like to take when it is over. The end of the job is the perfect time to strive for a role you really want, and you’ll be armed with more tricks to get it.
- Hand it back with grace
People remember first and last impressions, so hand back the role with grace. Stay on for a week to support the transition and be generous in your information, as a lot will have moved on while the person was away.