I am cancer survivor. During the first 6 years, I was very ill and fortunately my health took a turn for the better and I am considered cured. All of my health issues have been resolved, so I went back to college this year. I will graduate later this year and am doing very well so far. I was offered an internship position and possibly an entry-level position. My recruiter who was also my professor asked me about my limitations. I felt it was not necessary to tell her about my cancer diagnosis because it's part of my past and it's no longer a limitation to me. I am stronger and healthier and I've been working on and off at my home business but ready to move forward in the career of my choice. Am I wrong not telling the recruiter about my past health issues? Will a potential employer discover my health past once I am hired especially once I obtain health benefits? How can I explain the 6 year gap without lying?
Cancer Survivor Ready To Return to the Workplace
Brenda F. on April 6, 2012
Career Change, Interviewing, Job Search, Resume Building and Writing
2 Comments
Margot Larson
Apr 6, 2012
Career Coach Comment:
Brenda
First, congratulations on your amazing success - to be
cancer free. And it sounds to me as though you have made some very good choices
along the way: Focusing on your
treatment and getting your health back, going back to school, running a home
business.
You are also correct in not telling your Professor/Recruiter
about your limitations since you have none.
Your health history is confidential and need not be shared
unless you require accommodations. I do
wonder, however, why she asked. Did it
sound like a routine question? Or was she fishing for more information?
How you prepare your resume is very important at this stage
of your career. You may want to develop
a Functional resume to focus on your skills and competencies rather than your
employers.
It sounds to me as though you have the information to fill
in the gaps: Running your business (be sure to include
the skills that were required to do that) and expanding your education. Remember that you do not have to include
months in your dates of employment. So
stretch the years so that there is no apparent gap. If there is an obvious gap, explain that you
took a leave from employment because of a family health issue.
I always advise my clients not to share their health
information until the offer stage and then, only if they need
accommodations. When you enroll in the
company’s healthcare plan, you are guaranteed coverage if they have a group
plan. If you are currently covered by
another healthcare plan, you should be able to get a confirmation that would
preclude any pre-existing conditions.
Please verify this information with our legal resources.
So go forth into your new career with confidence.
Margot
Anonymous
Apr 8, 2012
Thank you so much for your wonderful advice. I found out that my recruiter was asking me about limitations because of my busy work and college schedule since she knows I keep a busy calendar. At first I thought she may have been aware of my past health issues. However, I realized later that she wanted to know what days I have available to work.
Right now, I do have my own health insurance but it is through a state sponsored high risk insurance plan which I pay for every month. However, I will check with your legal resources too.
Thank you once again. I am a big fan of CancerandCareers.Org and will be making a donation to your wonderful organization this month.
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