Hi Carrie,

 Thank you for reaching out to Cancer and Careers and for sharing the backstory of your situation. It sounds incredibly frustrating to have put in all of the academic and professional work towards your career to feel like you are not able to attain the level you feel you are capable of and have worked towards. With that said, it’s an unfortunate reality that cancer, or in your case a brain tumor, can really throw a wrench in best laid plans. This can mean a need to pivot in a way that may not be the most desirable but may be necessary. It sounds like you’re aware of the primary limitations you are experiencing, and you’re also able to pinpoint the specific challenges that stand in your way, so at the very least, your awareness will help you in charting your path forward. I will pass along your inquiry to a career coach but in the meantime would like to give you a few things to think on.

 It sounds like getting yourself organized would be extremely helpful. By this I mean, I think it could be helpful for you to sit down and really think through every aspect of your circumstance. Identify the main challenges you’re experiencing, the way they manifest themselves in your work and life, and then try to brainstorm some potential solutions for each of them. Have you explored vocational/occupational therapy to assist with some of the cognitive challenges like processing and memory? Your background sounds like you were involved in high pressured environments, which of course much of the financial industry is, but perhaps you look towards companies that are slightly less fast paced. It sounds like consulting is a great option for you for the time being since there is less of that stress and pressure, allowing you the opportunity to create a schedule that works best for you and the operating capacity you are at right now. It’s important to think through the right now – this may not be a forever solution but could be what you need while you continue to recuperate and adjust to what your capacity may be. It can be difficult to pivot to something less exciting and challenging when it is clear you really enjoy what you do and with two masters degrees and a CPA have clearly worked extremely hard for. I encourage you to be realistic about your current planning and then from there as time goes on, gradually explore what the next steps might look like given however you might be feeling. It may be a lot of trial and error, a lot of problem solving and most of all, a lot of internal reflection on how to be realistic with yourself.

 I hope the above gives you a bit of validation and that you are able to identify what will work best for you both right now, and for the future. Please do feel free to reach out with any questions or if you’d like to chat further, send an email to cancerandcareers@cew.org.

Warm regards,

Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Assistant Director of Programs

Cancer and Careers

Thank you Nicole so much for your insight and thoughts. Really appreciate it!!!

Part of my struggle is I don't know where to start ... how do I pivot and to what. What I have learned is to the extent I can get repetitive work that will help me a ton as with my short term memory problems it is much hard to continually grasp new things. So it seem like I need a job that is not so intellectually challenging.

How do I determine what would be a good next step for me? Is there some testing I could do or take that might determine what I am good at? Or maybe what I am inclined towards?

After my brain surgery I worked as a lifeguard for about a year just to pull in some money, but I don't see that as a good full-time option. I also need to consider, I feel like, the bigger companies because they will have the better benefits.

Question on transparency .... when or how do I tell jobs about my situation? I do not officially have a disability, but I do kind of even if not declared, and my issues always comes up. Do I be open in the interview and hope for a call back? Don't say anything until I need to?

I am in Chicagoland, are there people or specialists that could help me?

Let me know
Carrie

Hi Carrie,

Nicole asked if I would weigh in to help you with your career related questions. You certainly have been experiencing a lot of very difficult situations. 

First, I will respond to the questions you asked Nicole in your follow up email.

Where do you start and is there testing you can do? As a career coach, I am always a fan of taking some self-assessments first and if you haven't done this recently or at all, then this is a good idea. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most reliable personality test available. There are free versions online and if you take it and send me your four letter type, I can tell you what types of jobs are a fit for your personality preferences. 

Other areas to self-assess are your values, interests, and skills. My book I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This has brief quizzes for all of these areas. It's available on Amazon. Again, if you do take these and send me your results, I can share my recommendations about the type of work you can do. 

I would caution you to not just focus on doing repetitive work which is a far cry from the more sophisticated work you are accustomed to. There are many jobs that fall in between these two types. It's still important to consider the skills you are able and want to use, what makes work meaningful for you, and what interests you. So, I would look back at your previous jobs that gratified you and analyze why they did or may not have. I coach people with chemo brain and ADHD, people who are bipolar or autistic, and people who are blind. Every single person has limitations and find ways to be effective in their jobs through accomodations, new approaches, technology, and many other things.

Sharing your health situation in interviews or networking meetings isn't advisable. People may be sympathetic however they could default to assuming that you won't be able to do the job. You are the one who needs to decide whether or not you can succeed it in a job. And, I do think that a career coach can help you through this process. Perhaps you can find a referral through one of the universities you attended or look on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

The good news is that there are over 1000 job titles, 70 industries and 160 sub-industries so there is a lot of opportunity! 

Please write back if you have additional questions.

Take care,

Julie