Hi Jacquelyn,

Thanks so much for reaching out and I'm sorry to hear you're in a worrisome situation. You're right, any added stress during recovery is too much! I will be passing your question along to one of our career coaches who will follow up with you soon. In the meantime, I'd encourage you to check out some of our resources that might be helpful to you in this situation:

-Free Resume Review Service: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/resume_reviews/new
-Interviewing methods and tips: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/interview-methods
-In terms of disclosing information in an interview, please read the answer to the first question listed on this page: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/at-work/legal-and-financial/top-three-legal-questions

I hope this was helpful!

Best,
Nicole

Hi, Jacqueline,
Nicole reached out to me with your questions. I feel your concern coming through your words, and it is completely understandable. You have a lot to be happy about, but with the looming job search uncertainty, it is a challenging time. I am really glad you reached out!

I know that the question of "should I disclose my cancer treatment or not?" looms large in your job search equation - for after all, fighting cancer has been your focus for a while. Shifting gears back to the professional world and an employer's perspective can be a delicate dance. So, let's put that question into perspective.

First of all, your job as a candidate is to think like the employer, crafting your positioning to meet their needs. Ask yourself what the hiring manager is likely to look for and what specific needs would be filled by a candidate like you. Your task is to share that information with the employer so that he or she can clearly understand your skills, your traits and your work style and approach. Employers are not only looking for a set of skills, they are also looking for a committed employee who will be happy in the job at hand and is a good fit with the rest of their team. So, spend your time understanding the market in your field, the trends that may be driving the business, the cultures of your target companies and the skills needed to succeed now and into the future. Once you have developed a great case to sell yourself as a unique person who can meet the employer's need, that gap of time does not loom as large as it may seem to you now.

Second, many job seekers, especially those laid off in economic downturns or when their companies find themselves in economic distress, find that the job search takes longer than they may have anticipated. It is not unusual for a job seeker to take 6-9 months or more to land a position in today's marketplace, depending on field and the level of position you are seeking. Employers may see an employment gap and have questions about how you spent that time. But, they may also have many candidates with similar gaps so it doesn't even raise an eyebrow. With that in mind, it's all in your positioning, and it does not hurt to be prepared. With some forethought, your time off can be explained simply. Try this on for size.

"My firm was caught in an industry downturn and restructured last year. Although I loved my job and was a highly regarded employee, I found myself in a layoff situation. I have used the time since then temping while exploring opportunities and at the same time, had the chance to take care of a family situation that is now behind us. I am eager to reapply my skills in a firm that requires a person with energy, drive, commitment." (or whatever other positive traits and skills they require that you glean from the job posting or discussions with recruiters or contacts.) Did you catch the pivot in that answer? State your situation, quickly say what you did about it, then move immediately to what you bring to the table. No cancer anywhere in that equation.

Follow up your statement with a question. Ask the interviewer something like, "What can you tell me about your expectations for the person who would take this job?" or " What traits and skills are most important to you in your new employee?" Then, once you hear their answer, be sure all your success stories and answers to their questions take their perspective into account. By showing interest in their needs you have redirected the conversation and they most likely will move rapidly into discussing the role and asking you more about those skills and traits you mentioned.

You can probably discern from the info I shared above that I am not a fan of disclosing your cancer to anyone outside of your close circle, even on social media. In our experience, job seekers have found that disclosure may be a speed bump, if not a road block in some circumstances. Good companies with positive cultures don't deliberately discriminate. But, inadvertent bias or just plain ignorance or misunderstanding can still side track the initial conversations.

Erring on the side of safeguarding your own privacy is probably the safest bet and the approach that will save you the stress of wondering how someone may interpret your very personal experience with their own perspectives and potential biases. In other words, keep on taking care of yourself by maintaining some boundaries on what you say and to whom, safeguarding your energy for the important job of healing, even in the case of a job search.

I wish you peace and strength during your next treatment steps and rejoice with you that you are almost to the finish line! When you feel up to it, dig into the resources available to you on this site, including resume review and job search resources. And do let us here at Cancer+Careers know how your search is going.

Warmest regards,
Kathy Flora,
Cancer+Careers Career Coach