Will a potential employer hold it against me because I have young children at home?

Yes, but employers have fears about employment candidates whether they're single or married. If you're single, they worry you'll get drunk after work, come in too late and show up the next day hung over and unproductive. If you're married with kids, they're afraid you'll be off work all the time taking them to doctors or hovering over fevered brows. And if you're married without kids, they'll worry you haven't settled down and be ready to run off to another job for the slightest reason.

The point is, you can't win in the employer-worry game. All of those things just mentioned could be true. This is what you say in the interview, if you decide to talk about your children (they're not supposed to ask if you have them, but everyone brings it up. You can choose not to say anything. Everyone does. )Talk about your arrangements for child care (which matters if the job requires travel), about sick care (if being on the job at particular times is vital), about car-pool (if the job has flex-hours). The more the employer feels you've anticipated and handled such situations,, the more attractive you seem for the job.

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Rose Jonas, Ph.D.
The Job Doctor
jobdoc@aol.com
www.jobdoctoronline.com