Job Hunting

Finding new employment after cancer can add anxiety to an already stressful job hunt. Most experts suggest not volunteering your medical history to a potential employer before a job offer has been extended. On the other hand, you may want to share your survivorship status as a way to demonstrate your perseverance.

If you choose to withhold your cancer history, know that falsifying information on a résumé or job application and lying during an interview could be grounds for termination and your health insurance could be taken away. Although it is illegal for a potential employer to ask about previous medical issues if it does not relate to the job, you might sidestep the issue with a positive statement on the topic.

Seek help from a job counselor on how to answer questions related to your diagnosis. Practice answering certain questions you may be asked, like employment gaps or why you left your previous position. Restructure your résumé to highlight experience and skills rather than a chronological résumé if there are gaps in employment.

[Balancing Cancer and Work]