Hi Maria,

Thanks for writing to us and apologies for the delay, our office was closed for Labor Day weekend. I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties with your previous employer but it's good that you're starting the job search process. I have sent your question over to our coaches who will be in touch soon.

In the meantime, I would recommend checking out the following resources on our website that might be helpful:

- Job-Hunting After Cancer (specifically tip #3): http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/Job-Hunting-After-Cancer-Treatment
- The Swivel (this technique can be applied to any interview question, not just about gaps in employment): http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/the-swivel

I hope this is helpful and our coaches will be in touch soon.

Best,

Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers

Hi Maria, 

I am so sorry that you have had this experience. While I can imagine that you are fearful about having a potential employer talk to your previous employer, it would raise a red flag to tell them that you don't want them to be contacted. Typically the reference policy at a Fortune 500 company is to simply verify your position, dates of employment, and sometimes whether you left on your own or were laid off. 

Regarding your question about your reason for leaving, I would just state that you were laid off. You do not need to elaborate on your answer if you choose not to. Because you worked at the company for 15 years, it would certainly sound legitimate, because it is! 

At Cancer and Careers, we are frequently asked how to respond to resume gaps and questions about why someone left their job. I appreciate that it is a very sensitive topic for you however in today's workplace, so many people have been laid off or left jobs on their own that it is no longer a big issue for employers. 

I know that a few other experts will be weighing in to add to my comments so stay tuned, and best wishes! 

Take care, 

Julie

Hi Maria,

We hope that this information has been useful and wanted to provide a few more ideas. There is unfortunately no way to 100% guarantee how your previous employer will respond to a call, so you could also try a different approach. Do you have a former supervisor or colleague who is no longer there who could act as a reference? If so, you might want to consider saying no to the question about if they can contact the company but find a way to indicate that they can reach out to this person as a reference. Or is there someone who is still there who you have a good relationship with and you could direct the request to them specifically (usually they ask for name and contact info when they ask if they can contact someone at your last job)? 

In terms of explaining why you're no longer there, I pointed you to our article on the Swivel technique above, so this would be a good place to use that. Even if you have to fill this out on an application in writing, you could say that there was a family issue that required your attention and that it's resolved now, or whatever feels right to you without having to disclose your diagnosis.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Best,

Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers