Ruchira,

 Thank you for reaching out to Cancer and Careers! I’m sorry to hear you’re facing some challenges getting interviews. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a weird time in terms of the job market, with many unknowns in terms fo the economy, it does seem like finding work may take longer than in the past. But, given your extensive experience and openness to other careers, it puts you in a good position!

 I will pass your question along to one of our career coaches but in the meantime, I want to address a few of your questions.

• Getting back to corporate – while I can understand your concern with a career gap, big picture your gap is not that big. With so many national events in the last two decades, there are more and more people who have career gaps so it’s not as big of a red flag as it once was. With that said, you do want to be prepared with some responses regarding the gap in the event you are asked. You can be vague (e.g., “I was dealing with some family issues that have since been resolved and now I’m ready for x,y,z”).


• Changing careers and/or moonlighting – a cancer diagnosis is often a catalyst for exploring other careers of interest. I’d suggest narrowing down exactly what you might be interested in, and then assessing your existing skillset and experience to format it in a way that would work for the new position. Sometimes what helps is to volunteer somewhere to get a sense of what goes into that type of supportive/advocacy work. Perhaps you can meet with a coach to better understand their role and responsibilities and the path they took to get where they are. This can be really helpful in identifying next steps and what is and is not realistic for you.

It’s so understandable to feel stuck! Sometimes when we have too many options we feel paralyzed with indecision. My best advice is to pace yourself and get yourself organized. Gather information, start networking, have informational interviews – the work you put in on the front end, will often pay off well when the time comes to interview.

 I encourage you to check out some of our resources that may be helpful as you navigate the decision-making process:

• The Exploring Your Options section of our website has a number of informative articles such as Conducting a Successful Job Search During Tough Economic Times, Job-Hunting After Cancer, and What’s Next: Cancer As Inspiration for Career Changes
  


• Managing Disclosure When Looking for a Job


• It’s no secret that networking is key in looking for a new job, so check out the section on our website to get down best practices and see how to effectively network your way into a new position!

 I hope these are helpful to start. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like additional resources.

Warmly,

Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Assistant Director of Programs

Cancer and Careers

Hi Ruchira,

Nicole has made some good points. Additionally, it would be helpful to see your resume to learn whether it is focused on a specific job and optimized for ATS. Cancer and Careers has a Resume Review service and I am the coach who reviews the resumes.

It isn't true that employers are only interviewing people who are currently working. Many of my unemployed clients are getting interviews. 

As for becoming a coach, this is a long-term process as certifications alone take a year or two. I am not being discouraging at all, just practical.

While you often have to apply on-line for jobs, especially with large corporations, it is always best to find one or two people at the company that has the job opening to network with and champion you. It is an unusual job market too, with a lot of layoffs and hiring still however companies are looking for the "perfect" candidate. 

So, focusing your search on your resume and in your networking efforts is crucial and optimizing your resume and LinkedIn profile for keywords is important as well. 

Please write back to me if you have any questions.

Take care,

Julie