Hello Karen,

Thank you so much for reaching out Cancer and Careers. I’m sorry to hear about your layoff, and your recent diagnosis. That’s a lot to handle at once. I will pass your question along to one of our career coaches but in the meantime I’d like to share a few resources and thoughts with you to get you started thinking about your approach and plan.

First, it’s best to find out your treatment plan before making any decisions. While it’s always a possibility that treatment can change along the way, having a general timeline can be critical for devising a plan that will work for you. It’s certainly an added layer of stress going into the job search with so much uncertainty for the next few months, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come up with some options for work. You can request accommodations through the Americans with Disabilities Act – this can serve to protect your time off should you need it in the first few months of a job when typically there is a probationary period of sorts preventing employees from taking time off. I’d recommend checking out the Job Accommodation Network for further information on reasonable accommodations along with  ideas on what may be helpful to you and how you can best approach an employer to make such a request.

It's also important to figure out a disclosure plan for yourself. In some instances people feel like they want to explain the full scope of their situation, while others may never tell their employer. It’s a completely personal decision that deserves a good amount of consideration. Check out our article on Managing Disclosure During When Looking for a Job for more aspects to think through. Articles in the Exploring Your Options section of our website may have some additional ideas for flexible work that may be more conducive to your current situation. There’s no denying that being in this situation is stressful and can feel defeating, but it’s a completely normal response to a tough situation. I would encourage you to take a look at our Collective Diary in which other survivors share their experiences, the good and the bad, and in turn are able to provide some helpful insight, or at the very least, help you to feel validated in your feelings.

With all of that said, we have a ton of other resources available for Looking for Work. This includes our free Resume Review Service, where youc an submit your resume to be reviewed by a career coach. We also offer a Job Search Toollkit – a comprehensive publication that provides guidance, tips, and tools for the job search after a diagnosis. We also offer live events which I think you could benefit from. Our Balancing Work & Cance webinars cover a variety of topics, and if you are able to attend the upcoming event on February 5^th, we will be hosting Managing Long-Term Stress with a fantastic social worker whom we have worked with for many years. Our Midwest Conference on Work & Cancer will be taking place on Friday, March 28^th, this is a full-day virtual event that is free and open to survivors, caregivers, healthcare professionals, HR professionals, and anyone in the cancer community who is seeking more information on how to balance work and a diagnosis, or support those who are.

I will pass this inquiry along to a career coach but if there’s anything else you would like to discuss, please don’t hesitate to reach out to cancerandcareers@cew.org with any questions or additional information.

Warm regards,

Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Assistant Director of Programs

Cancer and Careers

Hi Karen,

I am terribly sorry that you are experiencing this. While I am well aware that the stress of worrying about how to pay your bills is difficult, I agree with Nicole that it makes more sense to wait until you are clear about your treatment plan.

When I have worked with clients who have your experience in TV production and broadcast journalism, they typically gravitate toward fields such as public relations, corporate communications, marketing communications, public speaking coaching, and polling companies, etc. I suggest spending time on LinkedIn looking for people who have your background and have pivoted to some of these or other fields. Also, networking with people in these fields to learn more about them would be helpful.

Job search can be so daunting and frustrating for healthy people let alone someone like you who is experiencing yet another cancer disgnosis. This is why having a laser focus on one or two specific types of jobs is important so that you can tailor your resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letter to these jobs. I don't know where you are based in the US however I would look for a job search support or networking group, not necessarily for people with cancer. You need people to help motivate you and hold you accountable in the ups and downs of job search. 

Please write back after you meet with your doctors and know what your treatment timeline is. I can help you identify the specific tangible activities you can do while going through treatment and possibly surgery.

Take care,

Julie

Hello Nicole and Julie,
Thank you both for responding to my post. It means a lot to have this service and feel heard. I will check out all the resources in the post.

Julie, I am also considering pivoting towards marketing, communications, and community engagement. I have been looking at a few non-profit organizations with jobs that align with these goals. I have an initial phone interview with a non-profit this coming Friday. That being said, I did meet with all my doctors and they recommended a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. I also had radiation therapy on my chest and stomach when I was 18 for Hodgkin's Lymphoma, so the plastic surgeon is not recommending implants, but rather using tissue from my body - but not my abdomen since I was radiated there. They will use a TUG flap using tissue from my inner thigh. Because this procedure is more involved, they said the recovery would be longer - 4-6 weeks. Whether or not I will need chemotherapy will depend on what they find after they test/observe my lymph nodes after surgery. There is a possibility I will not need chemo and will just be put on hormone blockers for the next 5 years. So, that is my plan. Surgery has not been scheduled yet, but they said it would likely be the end of Feb/early March. I am also working with a social worker through the hospital, who is helping me to apply for some grants to lessen the financial strain of it all as I will not be collecting employment insurance during my recovery. I hope this helps - I would like to figure out a plan to work with my current health hurdles. I very much appreciate your insight and help.

Hi Karen,

Thanks for writing back with your update on your surgery/potential treatment plans. I hope that you find some grants as well.

How did your phone interview go on Friday? It sounds as if with your timeline, the best use of your time is to target specific non-profits, network as much as possible and apply selectively to jobs before your surgery. While the recovery time may be a bit longer after your surgery, this doesn't mean that you won't be able to spend time on LinkedIn or connecting with your network as you are recovering. 

I also would love it if you can find a few people who have made the transition you are pursuing from journalism to marketing, communications, or community engagement. I understand that working for a non-profit may be your passion, however don't discount corporate jobs where you can transfer your skills.

I am sure that you are feeling emotional, distracted, and scared right now so it is very important that you set reasonable goals for targeting companies and talking to people on a daily and weekly basis so you stay more focused. And of course keeping everything organized. JibberJobber is a great digital tool for people who need to organize their job search and I believe there is still a free version.

Please do write back with any specific questions you may have.

Take care,

Julie