Hi J O., Thanks for writing to us and congratulations on being cancer free! I’m sorry to hear that the last nine months have been so difficult, but it’s so good that you are now able to start focusing on the future and thinking critically about what you want to do next. To start, I actually have a few more questions for you that I think will help us think about your situation more clearly. You mentioned that you had to drop out of school, how far are you from graduation? Could you go back if you wanted to? What were you studying? If you did go back maybe a part-time schedule to finish your degree would be more doable? Would that be of interest? In terms of work, what kind of work are you interested in doing? The answer to that might help indicate how important school is to your bigger picture plans. You might want to consider volunteering or an internship, which would help you get some experience to build your resume while still being able to set a schedule that works for you. If you have done any of those things previously you absolutely should be including them on your resume, along with any other skills and relevant experiences that would show how great an asset you’d be to an employer. CAC has a lot of job search content that might be useful for you to look at while you start thinking about your options: • Job Search Toolkit (2nd Edition): http://www.cancerandcareers.org/publication_orders/new (features a advice on improving resumes, cover letters; interview and networking tips and other useful tools to help you during a job search) • Webinar on Building a LinkedIn profile: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/videos/bwc/linkedin (note that everyone has a network on LinkedIn, it isn’t just people who have along work history. Investing time in LinkedIn could unearth some unexpected connections and opportunities) • Blog on Answering Tough Interview Questions: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/blog/answering-tough-interview-ques • Upcoming Job Search Webinar (March 8th): http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/events/webinar-jobsearch2017 In addition, I recommend you check out the section of our Resource Directory focused on Young Adults with cancer: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/resources/categories/resources-for-young-adults (The SAMFund, Cancer for College and Stupid Cancer might be especially relevant to your situation) Please also remember people have all kinds of backstories and experiences and though I am sure it must be frustrating to feel like you are watching your friends get a head start you too will have plenty of opportunities to consider. The most important thing right now is to pace yourself and take care of your health, and when you’re ready use all the tools you have to be a savvy and strategic job seeker. I look forward to hearing back from you soon! Kind regards, Nicole Franklin, MPH Manager of Programs Cancer and Careers