Hi Matthew,

Thank you for reaching out to Cancer and Careers! I'm sorry to hear of the emotional and physical challenges you've been experiencing! The pressure must feel heavy for you as you feel like you're relying on your wife financially while being concerned about your hireability. 

I can appreciate how your situation feels like an insurmountable hurtle (cap on earning potential, unknowns about energy, limited time available) but there are ways to work around some of these obstacles! Given the fact that remote work is much more common and acceptable, there are more resources available for looking for more flexible work arrangements. It sounds like looking for a part-time position would be most realistic given the SSDI restraints and your energy levels. There's a great website called Flex Jobs that posts job ads for positions that are more flexible in nature - remote, part-time, negotiable schedule, etc. I suggest as you gear up for your job search you start to practice a bit. What's it feel like for you to get into a routine? Perhaps you can plan to work a few hours every day, or work three full days? By practicing a routine (getting up at same time, showering, getting dressed, etc) you can assess what your energy levels are and be more aware of what your needs will be. Looking for a job that may let you set your schedule more freely, perhaps project-based work in which you're responsible for getting things done versus working at specific jobs, may be beneficial to you, so you're able to work when you feel up for it, as long as you're able to get your work done. 

I know you said your resume is in good shape (that's great!) but if you find that you need to make some adjustments or highlight specific experience/skills, I recommend utilizing our free Resume Review Service. This way if you find a job that fits what you're looking for, but find you need to tweak your resume to get noticed, you can have additional versions ready to go. Also be sure to check out our library of job serach tools as you prepare yourself for the job hunting process.

I hope the above helps settle some of the anxiety around looking for a new job, and hopefully the tools are helpful in getting yourself in a position to find what you're looking for. Please don't hesitate to reach out should you want more resources or have any remaining questions/concerns.

Sincerely,

Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Assistant Director of Programs