Hi Holli,

Thanks for reaching out. I have sent your question off to our coaches who will be in touch soon. In the meantime, I would recommend checking out our Living and Working with Cancer workbook and Job Search Toolkit, both of which can be downloaded or ordered for free here: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/publication_orders/new

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Best,

Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers

Good afternoon, Holli;

I am sorry you have had the diagnosis you are dealing with, as it must be frightening and a challenge to determine the best course of action going forward. Its good that you are thinking of your future with optimism, exploring alternatives.

I cannot pretend to walk in your shoes, but as a survivor and a career coach, I have learned from personal experience and from others walking the same journey, that keeping things as normal as possible during treatment is a comfort when all else seems uncertain.  By that, I mean keeping to your routine, keeping the same relationships, jobs, living arrangements etc, if at all possible.   There is something comforting knowing that life goes on as before even while you are addressing a serious health crisis.

Career-wise, temping is probably the most flexible arrangement you can put in place.  And it is one in which you have a successful track record to draw upon. Temp agencies are a great source of opportunity and a way to keep your skills sharp while maintaining your track record in the workforce.  Most will work with your schedule to a point when assigning jobs.  Taking an hour or two out of the work day one morning a week should be workable.  Many people who temp have one commitment or another during their workweek (schooling, childcare etc.) that can be accommodated. So, do work closely with your treatment team to ensure that you optimize the treatment schedule with your work demands as much as you can.

That leads to another question. Should you disclose your diagnosis to the temp agency?   In most cases, I would say no, do not disclose at this point.   The only reason one would do so would be to obtain reasonable accommodations required by treatment.  At this stage, you do not yet know what you may or may not need to adjust best to treatment, so hold those discussions in abeyance, except to say that you anticipate X time block to be unavailable for temp work during the next X time frame. No need to go further with your explanation to the temp agency at this point.

As for putting yourself out there as a free-lance grant writer, that is a tall order to take on when facing treatment at the same time.   Starting a new business or consulting role requires one to spend at least as much time marketing one's services as it does fulfilling commitments to deliver a product or service.   That may be a long held career goal, but my guidance at this point would be to work behind the scenes to lay the groundwork, and perhaps pick up that thread once you have a better handle on your treatment, your energy level and your recovery.  Don't give up that dream, but realistically take on only that which will help you gain success, and enable you to nurture your healthy recovery.

Of course, you are the only one who can make these decisions. So, seek out the advice of your treatment team, of your own personal trusted family members and friends, and then weigh your options and move ahead with what feels most right to you.

Remember, after treatment, there will be plenty of time to fulfill those dreams.  Take care of yourself and do let us know what you decide.

Warm regards,

Kathy Flora, Career Coach

Temping seems like the logical option.  Before I went into surgery, I told the temp agency representative that I had gotten difficult medical news and could not take on the next assignment that she was offering me. While I would prefer not to divulge a cancer diagnosis, how can I get around it after what I told the agency representative several months ago about my 'difficult medical news'.

Holli,

Good to hear from you again!   I am so glad you got through the surgery portion of your treatment.  That is a huge step.

If you are planning to reactivate your temping relationship with the same agency, you could make a call and just say, "I am ready to pick up where I left off with temping through your firm, and I will be available on these days." (Fill in whatever works for you.) No need to go deeper into the discussion except to say that you are eager to get back to work and anticipate doing a great job for them in whatever assignments they can offer.

If they ask about your diagnosis, there is nothing wrong with stating that surgery is behind you and that your physician has cleared you to work, and then reiterate that you know you have done a good job for them in the past and anticipate doing so again in the future.

Give that a try and see how they respond.  If you run into difficulties, then, you may always try a few other temp firms, as there are so many of them operating today.

You can also try jobs through Flexjobs.com.   Here is the URLthat you can copy and paste into your address line: http://www.flexjobs.com/?v=2&utm_expid=3302061-3.QbjiZxsVQ8W0lWqKpU7lCw.1

This site offers a host of temp and flexible, telework positions that you can apply for directly through the site.    If you choose to go this route, if may offer you alternative work options to help you work throughout your treatment that even a temp agency cannot. 

Let us know how these options work for you, Holli, and best of luck in regaining your complete health!

Best,

Kathy Flora, Career Coach

I think temping can work initially.  But I will eventually need to earn more money to help support our household. I was doing non-profit administration that included tasks in communications, event management, board support, and general office administration.  I was laid off from a job in 2010 and did some foundation grant writing to keep my resume going.  I then had a part time job doing communications for a church (which I liked but didn't pay much) and eventually took a full time communications manager position that was not a fit environment wise.  Unfortunately, the environment was very conflict oriented and I was not comfortable with it. I have a pain condition that is exacerbated by conflict and high stress and I have to manage it.

I realize that I talked about grant writing before.  I have only written foundation and corporate grant proposals and any jobs for grant writers seem to want federal experience. 

I am open to positions beyond communications and grant writing.  Having a diagnosis has changed me and being a resource for cancer patients in some way is attractive.  I have thought that a customer service position could get me in the door of a good organization. I also took a state exam, did well, and am getting some canvass letters but no calls yet.

As a previous poster said, going through cancer treatment changes you.  It changes who you are or want to become.  I feel a bit disoriented as I wait for my last treatment and have had considerable anxiety about how I can overcome the barriers of previous unemployment and a cancer hiatus.

Holli,  I understand.   That change is something that comes in different ways to different people, but as a survivor who works with other survivors, it seems to affect all of us in some way.   The anxiety and disorientation you feel is natural.   After all, for quite a while now you have been under the care of professionals who had your future in their hands, and soon, you will be returning to life that does not focus on treatment, but on living life on your own terms for you and your family.

Determining what that future will hold is up to you, and can pose the same type of uncertainty that many feel at the beginning of their career, or in a career change situation, such as a layoff.

In spite of your anxiety, I think you are going about your search for your next role in a steady, rational way; cataloging your skills and experience and determining where those skills may be put to best use to make a difference for an organization.    Your interest in grant writing and communications positions for issue oriented firms makes me think of another source to check out: www.idealist.org.   This site posts positions, both FT, PT and work from home, for not-for-profit organizations world-wide.   Check it out to see if there are any that interest you.  

And, please consider networking within the not-for-profit world in the locale where you live.   Meeting with Executive Directors of those agencies just to explore options and ask questions about what they might recommend for someone like you can lead to opportunities you may not uncover in the published job market.

I know you have uncovered some postings that seem to require Federal grant writing experience. Even for those that do, go ahead and apply anyway because in truth, there are no "perfect 10" candidates. You never know if you have just what they are looking for, because so much of the initial stages in the screening process is related to how you position yourself in your letter, resume and interview discussions.   I know Federal grant writing is very specific, but it is also formulaic just as other RFPs can be, so your experience in determining the best approach to the proposal writing process most likely applies in many of those cases, too.   Your strong written communication skills will go a long way, no matter what the posting says. 

I am not sure where you live, but have you considered applying for Federal positions to use those skills and build that resume value? Most states do have Federal offices, and there are some agencies that have telework roles, too.   To check those out go to: https://www.usajobs.gov.

All that said, the most important things to remember at this stage are to give yourself time and room to heal, and to ease back into the work environment at a pace that feels right to you.  Be selective where you apply and where you choose to work, so that you find the best fit for your temperament, your skills and your style.   As you have learned through your recent experience, finding a job working in an organization where the approach and the mission of the organization ring true to your own values and style is definitely worth the effort it takes to discern your best fit.

Holli,   there is something out there just right for you.  With perseverance and increasing confidence as you heal, you will find it!

Wishing you a fantastic day!

Kathy Flora, Career Coach

Thank you for your thoughtful response and suggestions, Kathy.  If I apply for say the grant writing experience, where should I put the general administrative temping experience on my resume?  It's the most recent work experience I have but it is work experience at a lower level than a grant writer.