Going back to work after long term illness
Discussion
I've been out of work since the tail end of last year due to a combination of getting fired from my job then shortly afterwards finding out I had cancer.
If all goes well within the next 2-4 months I should be able to work again. I'm a bit concerned about whether I'll actually be able to land a job in the current climate given my complete lack of qualifications and horrible job history.
Then there's how to explain what's been going on for the last however many months. Do I just tell a potential employer that I've been ill? I know they can't discriminate against it but they could play up something else so they don't have to give me the job. What about my CV? Do I put something like "September 2009 - July 2010 - Surgery + Chemotherapy, claiming benefits"? And my old job that I got fired from, I was there for a year. I don't know whether I should put that on my CV and try to play up the illness thing as a reason why I got fired (it was for excess absences from work..) or just make something else up and get a reference from a friend or something. I can lie without flinching but try not to.
I'm sorry if these sound like silly questions but they're genuine concerns of mine. I'm far from being well enough to work again but I like to plan ahead.
If all goes well within the next 2-4 months I should be able to work again. I'm a bit concerned about whether I'll actually be able to land a job in the current climate given my complete lack of qualifications and horrible job history.
Then there's how to explain what's been going on for the last however many months. Do I just tell a potential employer that I've been ill? I know they can't discriminate against it but they could play up something else so they don't have to give me the job. What about my CV? Do I put something like "September 2009 - July 2010 - Surgery + Chemotherapy, claiming benefits"? And my old job that I got fired from, I was there for a year. I don't know whether I should put that on my CV and try to play up the illness thing as a reason why I got fired (it was for excess absences from work..) or just make something else up and get a reference from a friend or something. I can lie without flinching but try not to.
I'm sorry if these sound like silly questions but they're genuine concerns of mine. I'm far from being well enough to work again but I like to plan ahead.
They're not silly questions as they are a concern to you
they are also an entirely normal concern.
My comments are made with a bias to my background (naturally).
A cv is a statement about you. It is your unique selling point and I would expect it to sell you on your best light, that's normal.
However, if you tell a lie on it, it becomes a false document and it is fraud. In 'old money' it would be seen as 'attempting to obtain a pecuniary advantage' now it is simply false representaion (fraud).
Depending on the job you go for, it will depend how employers will view it. I would view a lie as fraud and that would be the end (for example, this is not the same as being a little uncertain as to exact data from the distant past).
'Blue chip' organisations cannot employ people where the first doc (cv) is false. Others may not be so bothered.
Personally, I would demand honesty and respect it. If I were concerned, I may extend the probation period or something, but if told the truth I could not fire for deception (which would be damning).
Sound advice is to be honest, have the rationale to hand and defend your position robustly. You may be excluded from some jobs, but they would be the ones not worth having.
Very best of luck
they are also an entirely normal concern.
My comments are made with a bias to my background (naturally).
A cv is a statement about you. It is your unique selling point and I would expect it to sell you on your best light, that's normal.
However, if you tell a lie on it, it becomes a false document and it is fraud. In 'old money' it would be seen as 'attempting to obtain a pecuniary advantage' now it is simply false representaion (fraud).
Depending on the job you go for, it will depend how employers will view it. I would view a lie as fraud and that would be the end (for example, this is not the same as being a little uncertain as to exact data from the distant past).
'Blue chip' organisations cannot employ people where the first doc (cv) is false. Others may not be so bothered.
Personally, I would demand honesty and respect it. If I were concerned, I may extend the probation period or something, but if told the truth I could not fire for deception (which would be damning).
Sound advice is to be honest, have the rationale to hand and defend your position robustly. You may be excluded from some jobs, but they would be the ones not worth having.
Very best of luck
Is missing out a bit of information classed as lying/fraud though? Am I really obliged to list every single job i've had? I've never put McDonalds on there as I only worked there for a week or so before quitting. It just doesn't seem relevant. The company I last worked for, I was there a year, hated every minute of it and didn't gain any real experience/skills worth mentioning. It was just a means of (low) income for me. It's difficult to know what to fill that gap with though if I did decide to exclude that information.
I would expect that as soon as you mention being fired/terminated, you're at a severe disadvantage. Especially in the current market.
I would expect that as soon as you mention being fired/terminated, you're at a severe disadvantage. Especially in the current market.
Fraud at it's base level is simple, it can be an act of commision (lying) or omission (failing to disclose material information).
I'm not for one moment suggesting that most omissions would be considered fraud from the criminal view, but that employers that insist on honesty would be likley to view an omission very dimly.
Obviously, it isn't quite as clear cut as that, what I'm suggesting is 'material' information should be included. Therein lies a proble, what do we consider to be material?
For a cv, I would suggest that would be anything that may lead an employer to hire an applicant, also I would expect to be notified of anything that may give me concern. Of course, that could be disclosed at an interview instead. However, there is a risk to that. If a 'negative' thing was disclosed at an interview, and the interviewers failed to record it, the fault would be on the interviewer should the matter subsequently arise say a few weeks later.
However, if the interviewers forgot, or denied it, then usually the new employee would be the one under suspicion.
I'm not for one moment suggesting that most omissions would be considered fraud from the criminal view, but that employers that insist on honesty would be likley to view an omission very dimly.
Obviously, it isn't quite as clear cut as that, what I'm suggesting is 'material' information should be included. Therein lies a proble, what do we consider to be material?
For a cv, I would suggest that would be anything that may lead an employer to hire an applicant, also I would expect to be notified of anything that may give me concern. Of course, that could be disclosed at an interview instead. However, there is a risk to that. If a 'negative' thing was disclosed at an interview, and the interviewers failed to record it, the fault would be on the interviewer should the matter subsequently arise say a few weeks later.
However, if the interviewers forgot, or denied it, then usually the new employee would be the one under suspicion.
You don't need to list your McDonalds job - in fact DO NOT. 2 weeks at Maccy Dees hardly will make you look like a grafter - esp with poor attendance in your next job leading to get fired 
Put your last job in, you were there for a year, but be prepared for difficult questions about why you let yourself get sacked, rather than quit if you didn't like the job - it's pretty lazy to just do less and less work until someone notices so they sack you.
To be honest, I'd not worry about your past just yet, but think about what you want to do. What sort of job are you hoping for? Then think of ways to tailor your CV to explain why you'd be good for the role. You sound relatively young, so vast experience won't be expected of you, alas, this would normally be reflected in the pay though
Put your last job in, you were there for a year, but be prepared for difficult questions about why you let yourself get sacked, rather than quit if you didn't like the job - it's pretty lazy to just do less and less work until someone notices so they sack you.
To be honest, I'd not worry about your past just yet, but think about what you want to do. What sort of job are you hoping for? Then think of ways to tailor your CV to explain why you'd be good for the role. You sound relatively young, so vast experience won't be expected of you, alas, this would normally be reflected in the pay though
People will have various opinions of course. A cv really is to open a door to an interview and of course you sell yourself hard in it. Any gaps can be covered iin an interview.
How you set your cv out is your choice, you may (for example) choose to say 2006 Various casual Employment - without listing what.
If you've done a small casual job somewhere, most may not regard it as very relevant. I wouldn't view that sort of omission as dishonest.
If ever questioned, your answer would be 'I didn't include it as it was short term, temp, I wasn't dismissed and didn't consider it relevant. It may be different if there was a dismissal (other than if the job just went).
I'm sorry my 1st post will have come over as heavy-handed and maybe 'righteous', it wasn't intended to, it was intended to be helpful
The types of issues I would have include: are the quals accurate, are certifications declared current actually current, are there unexplained gaps, are reasons for leaving genuine (as far as you can tell). That sort of thing.
Sorry if my post caused any confusion.
[I have a 6 page cv detailing all things of relevance, the stuff from the 80s is hardly relevant so it shrinks as time goes on. I haven't been for a job for a long time and don't intend to, but if I did I would analyse the job and tailor my cv to fit, reducing it to 2 pages. If it were a Project job, I would emphaiisie those aspects, if investigative than I'd highlight those parts and so on]
(Edit- Also I'd check the spelling unlike the above post I made lol)
How you set your cv out is your choice, you may (for example) choose to say 2006 Various casual Employment - without listing what.
If you've done a small casual job somewhere, most may not regard it as very relevant. I wouldn't view that sort of omission as dishonest.
If ever questioned, your answer would be 'I didn't include it as it was short term, temp, I wasn't dismissed and didn't consider it relevant. It may be different if there was a dismissal (other than if the job just went).
I'm sorry my 1st post will have come over as heavy-handed and maybe 'righteous', it wasn't intended to, it was intended to be helpful
The types of issues I would have include: are the quals accurate, are certifications declared current actually current, are there unexplained gaps, are reasons for leaving genuine (as far as you can tell). That sort of thing.
Sorry if my post caused any confusion.
[I have a 6 page cv detailing all things of relevance, the stuff from the 80s is hardly relevant so it shrinks as time goes on. I haven't been for a job for a long time and don't intend to, but if I did I would analyse the job and tailor my cv to fit, reducing it to 2 pages. If it were a Project job, I would emphaiisie those aspects, if investigative than I'd highlight those parts and so on
](Edit- Also I'd check the spelling unlike the above post I made lol)
Edited by Dave_M on Friday 2nd April 17:32
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