Hi Robert,

Thank you so much for reaching out!  We have sent your post off to one of our coaches as well but in the meantime, I wanted to say you are absolutely not the first person to feel that their cancer is an important part of their story.  We definitely hear from people who can't imagine not sharing and would not want to work somewhere that didn't understand such a huge part of their experience and recognize the assets it brings to the table.  They are in the minority though.  Most people would prefer to approach the job search focused on their professional abilities and not have their health be part of the conversation.  I would encourage you to spend some time thinking about how you might be able to highlight the skills you correlate with your survivorship in other ways in order to truly assess how critical disclosing your cancer is.

You are lucky to live in MA where insurance isn't an issue, however that isn't the only reason that potential employers can be prickly about the revelation of a diagnosis.  People bring their own experiences and knowledge to bear on any situation and fair or not that can have an impact on how you are received in an interview.  Another thing to note, legally a prospective employer can not discuss your health status with you or ask any questions beyond can you perform the job duties as outlined  even if you bring up your cancer history.  So remember if you do share in an interview and you get an abrupt response or a quick shift of the conversation it may not be a negative but rather an interviewer knowing the law.  More info on legal and insurance issues can be found here http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/at-work/Legal-and-Financial

One more thing to think about is, is it important that prospective employers know about your cancer or is it important that you can share that part of yourself once you have a new job?  If what is really important is that your future workplace know then you might want to consider holding off on sharing during the interview process and instead make sure that while you are going through that process you are assessing what kind of environment the workplace is and whether you think you and your desire for open-ness would fit in.  Asking questions about the culture of the place would help to determine what kind of place it is.

Finally, CAC has a lot of content about the job search process, which can be found here: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work.

Good luck and let us know if you have any additional questions!

Best,
Rebecca

Rebecca V. Nellis
VP, Programs and Strategy
Cancer and Careers

Rebecca,

Thank you for your prompt response!  I wish job opportunities would respond as quickly!

I have been unsure as to how to weave in my story so I have not yet put it in anything job-related.  I know that people have different reactions to such a disclosure and I do not like making people uncomfortable with my disease.  Instead, I have been using the strengths I've accumulated in the last few years to describe myself and per your suggestions, I will keep doing so.

I have one more question.  Is there available a database of survivors with which I can network?  I've had a few people try to connect me with other survivors to get their take, but I am wondering if there are any industry-specific networks of survivors.  I have seen some on facebook but due to its rocky privacy issues I have nu pursued it as an option.

Many thanks,

Robert

Hi Robert,

You are very wise to tread lightly with Facebook (and any social media that has constantly evolving privacy settings).  I don't know of a database specifically geared to this purpose.  You could join the CAC Google group and pose your questions there (we have 120 members currently), http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/google-group. And, the other thing I would recommend is attending some cancer community events where you'd have the opportunity to connect with people who have experienced some of the same things you have.  You might want to check out stupidcancer.org, which has a thriving network of survivors under 40.  Also, your local Gilda's Club or Wellness Community might have events that would resonate with you and offer you the chance to meet people going through similar things.  Lastly, there is Imerman Angels, who connect people going through cancer with survivors of the same cancer (and who have similar attributes, like age, work situation, etc.).  I am not sure if they have anyone they could connect you with given that you are post-treatment but they are amazing and might have some thoughts as well.

Let me know how it goes,
Rebecca

Great!  I will check this out!

Robert

Robert-

 First, my hats off to you for your success dealing with your
cancer as well as having the foresight to remain involved and stimulated during
treatment.

Since I am also a cancer survivor as well as a coach, I
understand your willingness to talk about your life achievement and the
positive impact on your character and competencies.  My background is in Human Resources with a
lot of experience in recruiting.  Sure it
is illegal to turn someone down for a job or for insurance.  However, there are many reasons to select a candidate
and to screen out a candidate that has nothing to do with health.  It would be great to be able to rely on
transparency, integrity and inclusiveness in the hiring process.  I can tell you, first hand, that while it
exists, it is not common.

The perfect strangers that reviews your resume, who schedule
the interviews, who  can hire or
recommend hiring you,  all have personal
experiences and biases that can impact their judgment and decision and you will
never really know why you were “de-selected” or “screened out”.  With so many candidates available to them,
they may not take the time to know you. That’s why, we advise candidates not to
discuss their health issues with a potential employer.  On the other hand, you could get lucky and
speak to someone who would in fact hire you because of your accomplishment and
out of compassion.

 I advise you to utilize the skills and competencies you have
built over the past year to give your resume impact.  You probably can use qualities such as:  resilient, resourceful, committed, initiative,
productive focused on your goals, etc…

 Since you indicate that you do not have much experience in
your field, I would suggest a couple of approaches.   First, volunteer with an organization where
you can be visible, use those talents and your knowledge to create an
experience, relationships and recommendations that will benefit you in a paid
position.

 Second, network your way into the job.  Learn about how to proceed to develop
relationships that will speak on your behalf to potential employers.  Your network consists of Acquaintances,   Allies and Advocates. Work with those who
know you, who know about your experience, your spirit, your talents and what
you have overcome.  Let them influence
those at a high level who can hire you because of who you are and what you are
capable of.  You are using their
credibility to sell you and to overcome any concerns or biases that a hiring
manager might have.  This will allow you
to bypass the traditional screening process in the early stages of job search.

 Robert, also watch out what you post on Facebook, LinkedIn and such social media. Recruiters often do a search of candidate as part of vetting candidates for employment.  Once posted, you probably can't retract undesirable information. To connect with other survivors, check out www.inspire.com, www.cancercompass.com and other  cancer-specific chat rooms. You will find very helpful peers.

I hope this helps.

Margot