Hi Jamie,

Thanks for writing to us! Congrats on almost being done with radiation, I'm sorry to hear that you were laid off recently. I've sent your question over to our coaches who will be in touch soon.

In the meantime, I would recommend checking out the following resources:
- Resume Review Service (get free personalized feedback from one of our coaches): http://www.cancerandcareers.org/resume_reviews/new
- Exploring Your Options: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/exploring-your-options
- Cancer as Inspiration for Career Change: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/exploring-your-options/cancer-as-inspiration-for-career-changes
- Job Search Tools: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/exploring-your-options/job-search-tools
- Flexjobs (if you're interested in flexible working options that can be less intense, this is a great resource to find legitimate jobs, it is fee-based but if you enter the code CANCER at the checkout you'll get a 50% discount): https://www.flexjobs.com/

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

Best,
Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers

Hi Jamie,

I am sorry this has happened to you. You must be feeling very frustrated. In order to figure out what else you can do job-wise, it's important to do some self-assessment first. This means understanding what your specific skills are, what industries appeal to you, how much money you need to earn and what type of environment is suitable for you. If you skip this step, you may just jump into something that isn't right for you.

Can you get a part-time hygienist position while you go through this phase and start planning and networking with people to find a different type of work? I don't know what your financial situation is so if you can afford to not go back to work while you are exploring new options, this is good too.

If you take the Myers Briggs personality test (MBTI) on personalitytype.com it will tell you what your four letter type is. There is a great book called Do What You Are by Paul Tieger that tells people what kind of work they can do as it relates to their personality type.

Please write back if you have additional questions. Good luck!

Take care,

Julie