When do I start applying?
Anna R. on July 5, 2017
Career Management, Image/Professionalism, Job Search, Resume Building and Writing
Hello,
I was put on medical leave for my job after being diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in February. They extended my benefits via the ADAAA law but will be terminating me effective Sept 3rd (aka benefits are done Sept 30th.) My first question is, how do I put this job on my resume? I am technically still employed but haven't done any work there since February...when do I put my end date?
Second, regarding job search, I will likely have surgery at the end of October but am not totally positive since there is a chance if I have a full clinical response they will wait on surgery. Given that I will be losing benefits (and yes I know I can COBRA But its extremely expensive and I am concerned about the Senate health care bill,) I really would like to start searching now. Can I do this when I won't know my timeline? I asked before about gaps and I know the career coach, Julie said I was likely being too hard on myself. I also used the resume review service but I have asked friends in HR and they said I'm in trouble:( My resume looks like not only did I have static jobs before I became a nurse, but I graduated in Dec 2015 and took until Sept 2016 to get a job (This is actually not true, but due to a very long and horrible story I cannot put my other job on there due to threats of my previous manager), then I left in Feb. I cannot find any way to address this in a cover letter without disclosing my diagnosis? Since I am a RN, I am comfortable doing this for oncology related jobs, but not for others. One of the career counselors said I could omit all post-nursing grad jobs but I have a great reference from my most recent position.
I'd really appreciate your help on this. I am so terrified of what will happen when I lose benefits and there is a chance I won't need surgery in which case I could start working as soon as Sept. (I'm currently in radiation treatment).
Thank you!
1 Comment
Nicole Franklin, MPH
Jul 12, 2017
Cancer and Careers Staff Comment:
Hi Anna,
Thanks for writing to us. You’ve raised some really important questions. It’s understandable that you are concerned about how to present your recent work history in your resume, so I’ve reached out to our career coaches for their insight. In the meantime, I’ve have included some responses to your other questions below.
You might consider starting your job search now since – regardless or health history, past experience, etc. – the process can take some time (varying in length from weeks to months from initial application to starting the job). I’ve included some questions you should take into account when figuring out how your potential surgery might impact a prospective job.
Regarding your concerns about a cover letter, whether to address your diagnosis in your cover letter is a personal decision, but there are two important things to remember: (1) you are not legally obligated to disclose at any point to a prospective (or current) employer; and (2) the purpose of a cover letter is to get you through the door and into the interview. To that end, your cover letter should focus on your skills and interest in a particular role, so focus on writing a concise, compelling cover letter that will get you a phone interview or in-person meeting (and make sure to proof read!).
You may need to disclose to a prospective employer that you have a medical condition if you know that you will be requesting reasonable accommodations. (Keep in mind, taking time off may be considered a reasonable accommodation.) If you do decide to disclose during the hiring process, you want to be strategic about when you do. Typically, you won't really know what you need until you have started a job and have a sense of what your recovery post-surgery will look like, and how this may affect your job and vice versa. Also, if you decide to tell, it's important to remember that the interview phase is part of a strategy of getting hired, and the first interview is just the beginning of a relationship. The goal is to impress the prospective employer and advance to the next phrase of the hiring process, so the first interview may not be the best time to share your cancer history. As you move through the various rounds of interviews, you'll want to pick a moment where you think the company is invested in you and likely to hire you, or wait until the offer comes through and then share this information as part of your discussion of salary, benefits and other related factors. I recommend reading one of our blog posts for more tips on interviewing: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/blog/answering-tough-interview-que
I hope this is helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at cancerandcareers@cew.org or 646-929-8032.
A coach will be in touch soon!
Best of luck,
Nicole Franklin, MPH
Manager of Programs
Cancer and Careers
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