It’s May, and depending where you are in the world, you might be seeing flowers and feeling the warmth of sunshine for the first time in a while. It’s also a time for college graduation, of leaving behind the last comfortable space before full-on adulthood, and beginning that first real job search.
During college, hopefully you were graced with understanding professors, forgiving cafeteria food, a reliable campus health center, and a social support system. Out in the real world, it may not be so easy. It’s a quick transition from the “finding yourself” era of college to the “finding a job” situation that you’ll soon be in, but with these tips, you can make it through with IBD.
Job Searching
Searching for your first professional job is tough as it is. For many with IBD, your surgical history is more extensive than your resume. You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about/dealing with/making the most of life with IBD, and you haven’t had a chance to stop and focus on your career.
If you’re looking for corporate jobs, it’s comforting to know that workplaces rules and benefits have gotten a lot more favorable in past years. Many companies offer options to work from home, flexible hours, and other benefits that may help you deal with your disease in the workplace. It’s generally not advised to ask about these until you’re further along in the interview process, but rest assured that prioritizing work/life balance is becoming the norm.
If you’re anything like us, you spend a lot of time being involved in the Crohn’s and Colitis community, by volunteering at camp, or participating in walks, runs, and bike rides. These look fantastic on your resume, as they show leadership, philanthropy, and diversity. Feel free to include these, and list them as specific accomplishments, if you can.
Things like “Fundraised $3000 for a cause”, “Organized an event with 100 participants” or “Facilitated a bi-weekly support group for 15 chronic illness patients” show employers valuable job skills. Be careful when discussing these too personally. Present them as philanthropic efforts, not steps in your personal journey with IBD. We’ll discuss that next.
Professional Disclosure of IBD
Although our experiences with IBD are meaningful, they may spell liability to your hiring manager. You don’t have to have a grumpy, insensitive interviewer for this to be a problem, it’s simply the legalities of the hiring process. Hiring managers legally cannot ask you medical questions that are not job related (such as a disease or disability) and cannot make hiring decisions based on these. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, as it’s easier to not hire someone than to hire, then fire them because they were incapable of fulfilling job duties.
They can ask if there is anything that would keep you from performing the essential functions of the job, and if so, what time of accommodation would be necessary. If your IBD does not keep you from performing those functions, simply answer “no” and move on. If the question is more specific, just say, “I’d prefer not to disclose personal information about myself at this time” or something similar.
In some cases, for the hiring manager, even having this information makes you ineligible for the job. Even if you voluntarily brought it up, hiring managers become vulnerable for legal action just by having that information. Competition is tough. If you can successfully perform the job, don’t hand them a reason to discount you as a candidate.
Many of our biggest accomplishments do involve Crohn’s and Colitis, as we stated before. Running a half marathon, fundraising, or volunteering at a camp are big deals. If they do come up, discuss them as if you were on the outside looking in at the IBD community. Say things like, “I ran a half marathon and fundraised to support research for IBD”, not “I ran a half marathon because I have IBD and it was personally gratifying”.
It’s a tough mental transition, because as patients, we deal with our diseases by finding the positives, by getting involved, and just by mentally processing the “new normal” of life with IBD. We often have our identities and lifestyles intertwined with IBD, and we could discuss our passions, journeys, and accomplishments all day long. Be strong and hold off. Start getting paychecks and building your professional reputation. You have the rest of your life to be an advocate.
Did you get the job? More tips for dealing with IBD in the workplace.
When you DO disclose your IBD, if you choose to, do it after you are hired and settled in, if possible. So much of talking about IBD, not just in the workplace but in life, is how you present it, and yourself. Be a stellar employee, so your company realizes that you are valuable, despite (or even because of!) your IBD. When you share, share it as something positive, something that has made you a stronger person, or something you are proud to have learned to live with. They will realize that it’s got some challenges and painful aspects, but they’ll see that you’re doing your best to live with it, and what more could they ask for?
You can do this, and you’ll be great.
Continue to Part II, Health Insurance and Mental Health
*information reviewed and fact checked independently by HR professionals, insurance professionals, and mental health professionals.
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