Hi Luis,

Thanks for writing to us. You are thinking about and asking important questions as you delve into the job search process!

One method that we 've found to be successful for fielding questions regarding gaps in employment is called “The Swivel.” It involves addressing a question asked by an interviewer, and then redirecting (or swiveling) the conversation towards your actual goals and desire for the job. When planning your swivel, you want to come up with concise, credible answers to the gap question and practice it until you’re comfortable with it. You could say something along the lines of, “I realized that what I was doing didn’t fulfill me, so I took a step back to think about what would make me happy, and I think my tech background would really be an asset not just for this role but for the company as a whole.” The most important thing you can do is be prepared by having practiced interviewing, so you can sell your skills and show them that you are the best for the job. Remind yourself of your many accomplishments, none of which should be overshadowed by taking time off. For more info on “The Swivel”: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/interviewing/the-swivel. We also have strategies for dealing with a resume gap: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/resume-cover-letter/resume-gap.

It’s also important to remember that in general you are under no legal obligation to disclose your medical history and/or any medical conditions to your employer (prospective or otherwise), but ultimately it’s a personal decision. However, if you need to access a reasonable accommodation you may have to disclose some information to show you’re entitled to it, but you may choose not to disclose during the interview process and instead wait until you receive an offer to request any reasonable accommodation or even wait until you have started the job (in most cases you won’t really know what you need or what you need to ask for until you are actually in the role, experiencing the environment and the responsibilities of the job). For more information on disclosure, I recommend watching our webinar: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/videos/bwc/2017-webinar-online. 

It is easy to think if you weren’t working, you weren’t using the time in a way that might matter to prospective employers but that isn’t necessarily the case. Did you do any volunteering or take any online course or go to any conferences or anything else that would show you were using or building skills? And, if not, that is totally ok—focusing on your health was the most important thing to do—but now as you begin to move towards job seeking can you do any of those things to help make yourself more marketable?

I’ve included some other resources you might find useful:

• 
  Resume Review Service - http://www.cancerandcareers.org/resume_reviews/new (free program where a professional coach will review your resume and provide feedback to help you refine it towards your current work goals)


• 
  Resume and Cover Letter resources- http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/resume-cover-letter 


• 
  Recording of Job Search Webinar - http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/community/videos/bwc/job-search 


• 
  Job Search Toolkit(2^ndEdition): http://www.cancerandcareers.org/publication_orders/new (features advice on improving resumes, cover letters; interview and networking tips and other useful tools to help you during a job search

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.

Kind regards,

Nicole Franklin, MPH

Manager of Programs

Cancer and Careers 

I like the swivel. Thank you. I have many cognitive issues and am going back to work as a consultant. I really struggle with this. I am a very open person but have figured out already that honesty is not the best policy when it comes to the job search. Even the least judgemental person seems to latch onto the impact cancer may have on performance.