Hi Jennie,

Thanks for writing to us.  Congrats on finishing chemo- glad that you’re feeling great and ready to start looking for new professional opportunities!

In terms of applying to jobs prior to surgery or waiting, that is a personal decision.  It seems like you have a good understanding of your surgery and recovery timeline, although the recovery phase can vary in length.  The job search process can also vary in length, taking weeks or months from initial application to starting the job.  One way to approach it is to research potential companies you would be interesting in working at, update your resume and start drafting cover letters since this all takes a substantial amount of time.  This way, if you do decide to wait to send out applications, you can start applying as soon as you feel up to it, post-surgery. There is also an organization called FlexJobs.com that has listings of flexible work opportunities that might be of interest to you.  It is membership-based, but you can enter the code CANCER when you check out to receive a 50% discount. Another way to fill this next month (and boost your resume!) would be to volunteer.

I’ve reached out to one of our coaches for their insight as well, but in the meantime, I think the following resources might be helpful:

• Resume Review Service: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/resume_reviews/new
  


• Resume & Cover Letter advice: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/resume-cover-letter
  


• Job Search Toolkit (2nd Edition): http://www.cancerandcareers.org/publication_orders/new (features advice on improving resumes, cover letters; interview and networking tips and other useful tools to help you during a job search)


• Job Search webinar recording: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/videos/bwc/job-search
  

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at cancerandcareers@cew.org or 646-929-8032. 

A coach will be in touch soon!

Wishing you all the best, 
Nicole Franklin, MPH 
Manager of Programs 
Cancer and Careers

Hi Jennie,

Your attitude is fabulous and any employer will be lucky to have you! I tend to agree with Nicole that it is a personal decision about when to start looking. As she said, the job search process can take months or longer given all of the variables and if sending out resumes will partially fulfill your need to be productive, then by all means do it!

I would also advise you to spend as much time or more networking as you do responding to job postings. Because of the competitiveness of the job market, the larger number of people who are aware of you, your experience, and skills, the more likely it is that you will uncover job opportunities that are not posted. Also, create a target list of companies that are commutable for you and try to find people who work at these companies now, or have in the past on LinkedIn or through your network to learn about the companies and job openings.

Good luck with your surgery, recovery, and job search!

Take care,

Julie