Hi Beth,

Thanks for writing to us and congratulations on the interview!
In terms of revealing that you’re a survivor in your interview, this is a very
personal decision. Typically we don’t recommend that survivors disclose their
cancer history in an interview unless they feel that it is so much a part of
who they are that they can’t not talk about it. In a situation like yours, I
absolutely understand why you think it might be advantageous to discuss your
cancer experience, and it might be, but it’s always a bit of a gamble since you
don’t know how the employer will respond. I would recommend gathering as much
information on the person/people you’ll be speaking with as you can (read their
bios on the website, see if they talk about being survivors themselves, etc.) and
think about how your interactions have been with them to get a sense of how you
think they might respond to this information. If you feel confident that
sharing your experience will be received well, then you can think about how you
might want to talk about it. You could also touch on it in a more indirect way,
by saying something along the lines of “cancer has touched my life, therefore I
am very passionate about this cause…”

I hope that this is helpful. Please let us know if you have any
other questions and best of luck with the interview!

Best,

Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers 

Hi Beth,

I was just thinking about your question some more and had one other thought I wanted to pass along. If you decide to talk about your cancer experience in your interview and don't receive a particularly warm welcome, it may be because the employer actually understands the laws around what they are allowed to ask you in an interview. A potential employer can't legally ask you about anything beyond whether or not you can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without a reasonable accommodation. If they understand this, they may not want to discuss your cancer history too thoroughly. Please see the "During the Interview" section here for more on this: http://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/looking-for-work/Job-Hunting-After-Cancer-Treatment

Again, hope this helps and good luck!

Best,

Sarah, Manager of Programs, Cancer and Careers