Interviewing
Michelle S. on February 9, 2022
How do you explain being out on disability, while at the same time being able to show the unwanted journey of cancer to the person you are interviewing with? I have also been doing contracting work, so I have been doing something. There are times I feel that I may only want to work part time, but how do I approach that topic?
There is a gap on my resume for the year now, The first time I stated that I was BC survivor, my zoom interview stopped within 15 minutes and I was completely shocked, so I swore I would never say anything again. I was more than qualified for that role and even stated to the individual to ask me any questions they may have. Everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer. Now I only say something if i am really far down the road and then meeting with the C-Suite of executives, but even then I feel like I am apologizing for my absence, etc. I am starting to really feel as if I am not meant to go back into the workforce and I do have that option, but don't feel like I am ready for that yet.
1 Comment
Nicole Jarvis, LMSW
Feb 9, 2022
Cancer and Careers Staff Comment:
Hi Michelle,
Thanks so much for reaching out to Cancer and Careers. Disclosure can be really challenging to navigate in general, but certainly even more so in the job searching process. My question to you is why do you feel you need to disclose this information in the interviewing stage of job searching? It sounds like since you were doing contract work, a resume gap is not a major issue here, so I suppose it’s really about identifying the reason for sharing this information.
Choosing to disclose is a deeply personal decision that can be different for everyone. I don’t want to make it seem like you shouldn’t share this information about yourself if it is important to you to do so, rather, it’s a good idea to consider the timing of it. As you unfortunately experienced, the news is not always taken well, even if you are looking to provide some explanation of some sort or show your experience and journey in a positive light. So, again, timing matters. You’re absolutely right that in this day and age, nearly everyone knows at least one person who has been affected by cancer. However, it’s impossible to know what their experience was, and any potential biases they have of one’s ability to work after a cancer diagnosis. Allowing a potential employer the opportunity to get to know you, understand your experience and skillset, and see you as a potential candidate for the role, can be really important as you figure out when (and why) you want to share the information about your cancer history.
I’m sorry you are starting to doubt your ability to continue working because of these experiences, but I assure you that the better able you are to present your potential as an valuable employee, the more space there will be for you to share some more personal information about yourself, when the time is right.
I’d encourage you to take a look at the following articles and blogs as you strategize disclosure and interviewing:
I hope the above resources are useful in helping you to make decisions around disclosure and a plan for yourself moving forward. Please feel free to reach out to cancerandcareers@cew.org if you’d like more resources, information or to speak with a staff member.
Warm regards,
Nicole Jarvis, LMSW
Assistant Director of Programs
Cancer and Careers
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