Hi Rosemary,

Thanks for reaching out to us and apologies for the delayed response. We recently redesigned our website and are having some issues with the alerts when new questions come in, so I'm very sorry about that. I have sent your question over to our coaches who will be in touch soon.

It sounds like you've been through a lot recently but that you have great experience and are taking action to find a new job. Searching for a job can be overwhelming, and it sounds like a traditional job may no longer be the best fit for you. Have you thought about looking for flexible work options, such as telecommuting? I would recommend that you check out FlexJobs, it's a great resource for finding flexible work options: https://www.flexjobs.com/. It is membership based, but if you enter the code CANCER when you check out you will receive a 50% discount.

I hope that this is helpful, our coaches will be in touch soon.

Best,
Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers

Hi Sarah,
I thought there was something wrong. I waited and waited, but so glad you reached out. Yes I have been through a lot. Thanks for your input. I have not heard about FlexJobs before and I will look into it. I am set up with my office at home, this might be a good plan. I look forward to hearing more from the coach that will get in touch with me, hopefully soon. Thanks again,
Rosemary

Hi Rosemary,

Yes, so sorry again for the delay. That's great that you're already set up with a home office! I think exploring flexible work options sounds like a great plan. Our coaches have your question and will be in touch soon, if not over the weekend then early next week.

Best,
Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers

Hi Sarah,

Thank you so much, really appreciate your feed back. I'll make sure to check my in-box for the next responses.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Rosemary

Good afternoon, Rosemary,
I am so glad you touched base with us and I wholeheartedly support the recommendation that Sarah has made to check out FlexJobs. I also think that a work from home situation may be best for you. Surprisingly, there are many more avenues to find such work via the web, including GURU.com, elance.com ( This site has just become part of UpWork.com), Quintcareers.com to name a few. Do be careful to vet the organization carefully, though, as there are some scams in the work from home job market, including those that seem great until you see that you must invest in order to get the job. Don't be fooled by that one.
Another idea I had from reading your note is that you have tremendous administrative skills, including accounts and bookkeeping/accounting. Have you considered becoming a virtual assistant? On the site, UpWork.com, one can register as a virtual assistant and bid on projects that one can complete within a negotiated timeframe. This is worth checking out if that sort of independence is attractive to you.
Finally, I want to encourage you to follow through with your approach to Vocational Rehabilitation. Taking help that is meant for exactly the type of situation you face is not taking the easy way out, it is using the available government services for which your tax dollars have paid. This organization can help you with any accommodations you may need in the workplace, as well as job placement within a firm that is aware of your existing hearing loss. In my experience, larger firms are more willing than smaller firms to hire individuals who are highly qualified, like you are, but who are dealing with a disability like hearing loss. They have the structures and accommodations in place for such eventualities, so please be open to exploring if Voc Rehab does refer you to a larger employer nearby. Governmental agencies also are more than accommodating with individuals with hearing or sight deficits, so if you happen to live near a County, State or Federal government installation, do explore their job openings, too.
I know that the transition back to employment is challenging at best. And, it can be even more challenging when the side effects of treatment turn out to be permanent. But, remember how capable you have been in the past. Cancer did change things, but it did not take away your skills, even if it means you have to accommodate some personal changes.
Please check out some of the resources that Sarah and I have suggested, follow up with Voc Rehab, and then let us know how things are going, OK? Promise we'll respond in a timely fashion now that we know that the system glitch is fixed.

Warmest regards for your success,
Kathy Flora, Career Coach

Hi Rosemary,
You've been through rough times and I can imagine that a big part of you is fed up with trying to continue to work. SSDA could be what you need right now but it tends to be a very low, living wage and, depending on your age and social circumstances, the loss of any kind of meaningful work can be demoralizing for many people. Even if it comes through, I encourage you to continue to pursue finding work that you can do and feel good about yourself. (Typically you have a period of time to test working again and/ or can earn a small supplemental income).

Regarding how to create work that you can do now, I find the FlexJobs site very useful but having worked with clients who have either site or auditory issues similar to yours, I agree with Kathy that work from home is worth exploring. Before you consider what the work or career you would pursue, it's helpful to create a picture of you, now. I call it a your psycho/social/health/career profile. First, identify your wants and needs in a list (including all aspects of your life). This clarifies your 'must haves' versus what you'd like but could live without so you can evaluate possible opportunities with a clear eye. Next, do the research. If you think that working from home is the best option at this time, find articles that include what you should consider (here's one example that focuses on telecommuting : http://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryhannon/2013/09/02/10-tips-for-working-from-home/#1de457e8290a). Consider self employment as well. There are many online site and articles offering tips for starting your own business and working from home to give you an idea for what would be a good fit. Finally, research the marketplace to see what the potential is. Again, research both online and by trying to speak with people who are doing this work. You'd be amazed how many people will give generously of their time to share their experience. And professionals, like myself, who work with people living with debilitating health challenges at reduced rates. So don't be shy to ask for help!

Good luck and I hope that you find ways to continue to thrive, even while living with difficult health!

Warmly,
Rosalind Joffe (chronic illness career coach)

Hi Kathy,
Finally, getting a chance to reach out to you. I do want to thank you for responding to my post. Yes a lot has changed, and I do appreciate your encouragement to tell that cancer did change things, but it did not take away my skills, and I will hold very tightly to that fact. Thanks for all the sites stated in your post, I have registered and have gotten started exploring my options. The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation process, I am still pursuing, but the initial process is slow. I need to have the resources from OVR to help me with my accommodation tools for my new hearing loss. So much information provided for me, and I am very grateful. I will keep you posted how things are progressing for me.
To care and do have a good weekend.

Way to go, Rosemary! You are making progress, one step at a time. Finding work takes persistence, and I believe you are showing that you have it in spades!

Do stay in touch and I will watch for further progress as you post your updates.

Blessings for more progress this next week,

Kathy Flora, Career Coach

Hi Rosalind,
Thank you for taking the time to answering my post, and sorry for taking so long to respond. I am so busy with other opportunities and looking for resources. I know that I told Kathy I am pursuing looking for a job, and I will not stop, but to be honest, you are absolutely right, I do get fed up with trying to look for work and I'm physically tired and it's actually frightening, because a lot of resumes sent and with fewer interviews. For now, SSDA would take the strain away, but as you mentioned, the living wages are low, and my age is a big factor too. I would be 57 years old soon, with a beautiful head of gray hair and this doesn't help with my job search. "Thinking of buying a wig" LOL!!! I love what you said about “considering before pursuing my career, to create a picture of myself now/my phycho/social/health/career profile….Wow! Thanks Rosalind, I began to do little research on the article you gave me for working from home, and I must say, I haven't had a boast like that in a long while. It’s something about getting equip and receiving information to help you clear your mind. I'm still working on creating the very different me, to love who I am and be happy, because I believe this is the part that is extremely important to me right now. If you can help me out with how to really get started on those things, I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much for your post it is very helpful. Enjoy your week.

Hi Kathy -
It sounds like you do well when you have a sense of direction and purpose. You might check out the free resources on my website to see what might be helpful. There are some good books on career change but they don't address the issues of living with debilitating conditions. I urge you to focus your search by starting with a clear snapshot of your current overall situation. I've seen too many people give up because they were answering any ad they could and getting rejections or unable to accept what they were offered. Feel free to contact me directly about some other options that might be available.

Oops - hit post too quickly. I also urge you to read the section in this site, if you haven't already, Looking for Work. You might print out the suggestions, organize them according to what you think you should do, and create an action plan from that. Finally, as someone who coaches people in your situation, I agree with a suggestion in that posting that you would be wise to invest in a career coach, particularly one with experience with health issues. Continuing to work can be the most important factor in your continued life success.
Warmly, Rosalind