In the last ten years, the dialogue about the value of the relauncher
talent pool has shed a bright light on the fact that many talented,
competent people take career breaks at various points in their working
lives. This conversation has led to a long overdue legitimization of
the reasons for these breaks: to care for children, elderly parents, ill
spouses or partners -- or even to write novels or pursue world travel.
Resourceful relaunchers know that they must put a positive spin on the
reasons for their career breaks in marketing themselves to prospective
employers. But for those who step away from the paid workforce to
manage their own illnesses, relaunching may involve challenges that are
more complex than those faced by people who’ve stepped away from their
careers for less private or sensitive reasons.
In my work in the last ten years as a coach and career counselor,
I’ve had the privilege of supporting many who have temporarily exited
their careers to deal with breast cancer, Lupus, MS, diabetes,
alcoholism, mental illness, and other issues. The courage and strength
of many of these relaunchers is awe inspiring. In reflecting on the
parts of their journeys that I’ve witnessed, I see that, while every
relaunch path is as unique as its traveler, there are certain common
questions requiring the thoughtfulness and focus of those returning from
a career break after illness:
Am I Ready to Return to Work?
Whether you’ve battled and recovered from a temporary illness or will
continue to live and work with a chronic condition, this question is an
enormous and highly personal one. Don’t answer it in isolation. Get the
input of family, friends and medical professionals who can help you
decide whether relaunching is a good idea based on objective information
about your health. Answering this question also requires deep
introspection and honesty with yourself. It’s hard to know how you will
handle the demands of a job after a career break until you are actually
in the job; this is especially true after recovery from an illness.
For some, taking smaller transitional steps like volunteer, pro bono or
contract work and building up to a part- or full-time job might make
sense.
Denise*, an attorney-relauncher who recovered from breast cancer after
chemotherapy, mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, thinks her decision
to relaunch quickly into a demanding job at a law firm was ‘not
rational’. At the time, however, she wanted (and needed) to go back to
work. “Illness can compromise your decision-making abilities…” she told
me. Her first year back included dozens of interruptions for
oncologist appointments, MRIs, and ultrasounds. Looking back, she told
me: “I needed more time.”
Should I Tell My Employer About My Illness, and If So, How and When?
If you’ve completely recovered from your illness and have made the
decision to return, you’ll need to decide what to say to employers about
your career break. One possibility is:
- “I took two years off to manage a personal
[illness/issue] which thankfully has been fully resolved and is entirely
behind me. I am feeling great and completely cleared to return to
work.”
Keep it simple. Don’t overshare or provide unnecessary details.
Talking about your illness can be highly emotional, so practice saying
this with a friend so you can avoid emotional leakage in your networking
or interviewing conversations.
If you’re relaunching with a recurring or chronic illness for which
you’ll need either employer flexibility or a legal accommodation, one
option is to wait until an offer has been extended to raise it. This
precludes any possibility that the employer will hold your condition
against you in its hiring decision (as illegal as that may be).
Alternatively, raising it during the interview process, after you’ve
established trust and rapport with the employer, shows that you’re
honest, actively managing your illness, and that you genuinely want to
work with the employer to position yourself for success in the role.
My Illness Changed My Life. How will that Impact my Relaunch?
About to begin her relaunch, Christine* is returning from a 2+ year
hiatus from a thriving career in finance to manage a life threatening
and physically impairing condition. When I asked how her illness will
change her relaunch focus, she said that she is now “aware of a bigger
picture” like never before. Her illness has made her feel strongly that
she “can’t skip the ‘Why?’” How Christine will process her
experience with illness and translate it into a relaunch journey that
reflects her changed outlook remains to be seen, but she’s proceeding
thoughtfully.
Like Christine, many relaunchers returning after illnesses describe
having a different life perspective. As a result, it may follow that
their targeted areas for employment shift, or they want to make a
difference in the lives of other people, or they simply want a less
stressful job following the stress of illness. Perhaps none of these
changes will follow. Regardless, it is important to take the time to
seek support and process what‘s different for you and about you after
illness and how your relaunch journey will acknowledge that, in big or
small ways.
