Hi Lisa,

Thanks for writing to us. I’m sorry you’ve been encountering challenges with your job search, but it sounds like you have incredible skills and professional experience to offer an employer. While a prolonged job search can be frustrating, you are taking the right steps by asking some important questions.

In terms of disclosing, please keep in mind that in general you are under no legal obligation to disclose your medical condition to your prospective or current employer.  There are some exceptions to that, for instance if you need access to a reasonable accommodation you may need to provide some information about your health issue to show you are eligible—that said it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to discuss all the details. It is also important to remember that the interview phase is part of a strategy of getting hired, and the first interview is just the beginning of a relationship. The goal is to impress the prospective employer and advance to the next phrase of the hiring process, so the first interview may not be the best time to share your cancer history.   As you move through the various rounds of the interviews if you do choose to disclose you'll want to pick a moment where you think the company is invested in you and likely to hire you, or wait until the offer comes through and then share this information as part of your discussion of salary, benefits and other related factors. To learn more about disclosure: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/videos/bwc/2020-webinar-online

I’ve reached out to our coaches to get their insight, but in the meantime I’d recommend checking out the following resources:

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

• Job Search Toolkit (3^rd 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)

• Managing Disclosure When Looking for a Job: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/job-search-disclosure/managing-disclosure-when-looking-for-a-job
  

• Interviewing Methods & Tips: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/interviewing/interview-methods
  

I hope this is helpful. 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!

Kind regards,

Nicole Franklin, MPH

Senior Manager of Programs

Cancer and Careers 

Dear Lisa, thanks for sharing about your frustration in finding work after beating cancer twice. I also beat cancer twice and ended having a bone marrow transplant on November 11/2019. I've been in remission ever since the transplant. I am 58 years old and was out of work for almost three years, battling advance Lymphoma. My career gap along with ageism are making me persona non grata in my old industry (Advertising). I've won top international and domestic awards, appeared in the top trade magazines, my career was soaring and entering the C-suite level. But then cancer tuned my life upside down. I am thinking of becoming a writer, a skill everyone tells me I have, but have no idea how to monetize it. My self-doubt is at all time high and after applying for jobs, I believe the only way to counter feelings of inadequacy is to remind myself that I am a survivor, a real hero. You are also a hero and that should give you the confidence to break barriers. I would like to connect with a career coach here who also understand that my cancer journey was a meaningful feat. Don't give up and keep at it, something is gotta give. Juan