Looking to get back to work - 3.5 yr gap in CV

Back2work

Hi Everyone,

I am hoping that someone may be able to help and advise me on what I could put on my CV to fill a 3.5yr gap that I have not been able to work due to burnout, anxiety and a thyroid problem. Its causing me severe anxiety and distress at the moment because I dont know whether to declare my illnesses on my CV or not. I went to see a job coach and he told me to declare it, but my family told me that I should not because of the stigma that still exists. I am going round and round in circles.

Has anyone here been in a similar situation regarding going back to work after a gap of a few years? If so, how did you approach it?

Thank you

bonyn

I never had a gap of that long.

But, can I just point out something.. you have a 3.5year gap due to anxiety and burnout, and the thought of explaining it is causing "severe anxiety and distress"... that is crazy. Have you received treatment for your illness, and if so why do you still have the symptoms?

Your future employer will want to be satisfied you are over your medical illnesses.

It's all about window dressing now, because you need to get back into employment (do not attempt to be fussy as to the area of employment)

Put your education first on your cv. Then work history, with a small bulletpoint at the end of your last job saying "reason for leaving: medical issue". (it sounds like you still suffer from the issues, but how's the throid? is that still an issue?)

Have you done ANYTHING at all during the 3.5 years? Any college or evening courses? cared for child or sick family member? Any travelling? Attempted to start a knitting business that didn't work out?
These can somewhat account for your time out.

If you haven't done any evening courses thus far, I recommend you go to your local tech or college and see what they're offering. You'll find courses starting in september for as little as Eur80 for 8 week, one evening a week courses. Evening courses are excellent to add to your cv to soften employment gaps and show that you have some drive and ambition - and all the better if they're relevant. Even courses you are undertaking or planning to begin can be good things to talk about at an interview.

also, i'd suggest you phone around a few local charities and see if they can give you some volunteer work to add to your cv. Then you can have a position on your cv "sept 16 to present - Office admin (Volunteer position)" or similar

celligraphy

I haven't been employed since I was 19, I'm now 25 I'm the last four months I was employed for two months short contract , and now working again . All I can say is start learning not to care what people think , and start practising interview skills with family and friends . Do not mention your illness

Back2work

Hi Bonyn,

Thanks for your reply

I have a life long anxiety condition, just have to try and manage it as best I can. In relation to thyroid problem, that will also be lifelong, but again just have to cope with it.

I really just want to know from people if anyone has declared their illnesses on their CV and managed to get a job

Back2work

celligraphy wrote: »

I haven't been employed since I was 19, I'm now 25 I'm the last four months I was employed for two months short contract , and now working again . All I can say is start learning not to care what people think , and start practising interview skills with family and friends . Do not mention your illness

Thanks so much Celligraphy. Thats exactly what my job coach told me, but he told me to declare the illnesses. The very best of luck to you in your job.

celligraphy

You seriously should never declare your illness , all they want is a hard worker not somebody who is going to call in some day because they feel too anxious to go into work ... I have recently just overcame depression and anxiety in the last year due to horrible situations , but once your looking for a job you have to split yourself into two people , one the professional and two the anxious person ,after awhile the former will take over the latter it will do your anxiety wonders to get back on track working and give you the boost of confidence needed , for thyroid problems 'll I can say is just make them aware once you are hired and not at the interview or on a cv

Back2work

celligraphy wrote: »

You seriously should never declare your illness , all they want is a hard worker not somebody who is going to call in some day because they feel too anxious to go into work ... I have recently just overcame depression and anxiety in the last year due to horrible situations , but once your looking for a job you have to split yourself into two people , one the professional and two the anxious person ,after awhile the former will take over the latter it will do your anxiety wonders to get back on track working and give you the boost of confidence needed , for thyroid problems 'll I can say is just make them aware once you are hired and not at the interview or on a cv

Hi celligraphy

Well done on overcoming your anxiety and depression, its a great accomplishment. I know that getting a job and some structure in my life is what I need. I am a very hard worker and was for 16 years until I got sick, I just hope I wont be discriminated because of the gap

Wanderer78

i find it disturbing that we cannot seem to accept people with long term illnesses. its actually a form of discrimination. anxiety disorders are very common and are manageable, employers should be more open to accepting people with all kinds of long term illnesses. i was recently diagnosed with dyslexia, this will be mentioned in my next interview, even though i dont have to disclose this, i feel its the best thing for me to do, even if it costs me a job. im lucky to have little or no responsibilities compared to most my age, so i guess i can take these risks, but as i said, i feel this is the right thing for me to do.

im not sure i have any advice for you op only i wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide.

Mrs OBumble

Do not put it on your CV.

If asked about medical conditions specifically, that is when you must declare it (because if you don't, you can get fired for being a liar).

But if you're not asked, then it's simply not relevant to the job. What you have to do is convince an employer that you can do the job - not give them reasons why you wouldn't be as good as the next applicant in the queue.

An employer is not a charity: they want to make the best return on their investment. So they won't knowingly hire someone who has issues which will cause them to miss work, and to have difficulty fitting into the routine of work.

That said, there are some schemes that provide employers a subsidy in return for taking on someone with a disability.

screamer

Wanderer78 wrote: »

i find it disturbing that we cannot seem to accept people with long term illnesses. its actually a form of discrimination. anxiety disorders are very common and are manageable, employers should be more open to accepting people with all kinds of long term illnesses. i was recently diagnosed with dyslexia, this will be mentioned in my next interview, even though i dont have to disclose this, i feel its the best thing for me to do, even if it costs me a job. im lucky to have little or no responsibilities compared to most my age, so i guess i can take these risks, but as i said, i feel this is the right thing for me to do.

im not sure i have any advice for you op only i wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide.

In a perfect world it wouldn't be an issue. In the real world employers want grafters not lots of sick certs.

Wanderer78

screamer wrote: »

In a perfect world it wouldn't be an issue. In the real world employers want grafters not lots of sick certs.

and this is where the problem is. ive been lucky enough to work with people with serious mental health problems, some are some of the best workers ive come across, when theyre on form of course, particularly during manic phases! mental health issues are very common, a mate reckons almost 50% of our population suffers with some kind of mental health issues, hes probably right, a lot of these would be very good workers, or hard grafters as you d say. people should not have to suppress their issues in order to be a part of the workforce. we still have a very long way to go in fully accepting mental health issues in the workplace!

even though i can understand where you're coming from, and you're sadly probably not wrong, i do really think we have to stop this kind of discrimination.

Senna

In my last interview I told them I left my last work due to burnout, but because of the nature of the industry I was in, it was acceptable. If I had been working in administration and said I left due to burnout, I'm sure I wouldn't have got the job.

All well and good to be talking about discrimination, but little benefit to someone looking for a job now. OP, if asked, say it was for a medical condition "but I fought through it and now I'm fit and able for work, I do have one underlying condition, thyroid but that won't effect my work" or something that covers it in one sentence.
Whatever you say, try to phrase it so they are unlikely to ask follow up questions.

livedadream

2005-2008 Career Break

if they ask you in interview say you have a thyroid issue that you took some time to get under control, that its back under control now and you can manage it.

i wish we lived in a world were anxiety wasnt an issue but it is for alot of employers its small minded yes but it does happen.

suzybr

Hi back2work, I was in the same position as yourself, I gave up work in sept 2013 due to anxiety which we then discovered was due to a thyroid problem too. I started treatment etc and was on certs for 2 years. I then decided to return to work and after many applications that were not successful I applied for a CE scheme which I am in since Feb this year. It is great, 19.5 hours a week and getting me back into the workforce, doing courses etc. I am also on a panel for work in a local college and have been offered a temp
Clerical role for 8 weeks starting soon. In all my interviews I said I got ill took some time out to look after my health and kids at home and am now back fighting fit and ready to take on new challenges;) it seems to have worked. All the best in your future endeavours. I have to say a wonky thyroid creates some problems!!! No one has any idea, but hopefully your treatment will solve it all

Back2work

suzybr wrote: »

Hi back2work, I was in the same position as yourself, I gave up work in sept 2013 due to anxiety which we then discovered was due to a thyroid problem too. I started treatment etc and was on certs for 2 years. I then decided to return to work and after many applications that were not successful I applied for a CE scheme which I am in since Feb this year. It is great, 19.5 hours a week and getting me back into the workforce, doing courses etc. I am also on a panel for work in a local college and have been offered a temp
Clerical role for 8 weeks starting soon. In all my interviews I said I got ill took some time out to look after my health and kids at home and am now back fighting fit and ready to take on new challenges;) it seems to have worked. All the best in your future endeavours. I have to say a wonky thyroid creates some problems!!! No one has any idea, but hopefully your treatment will solve it all

Thanks so much suzybr, Im delighted that you are doing well. Your story is a great inspiration and gives hope for all in this position

Mrs OBumble

Wanderer78 wrote: »

ive been lucky enough to work with people with serious mental health problems, some are some of the best workers ive come across, when theyre on form of course, particularly during manic phases!

I'm glad that you've had positive experiences with colleagues with mental illnesses.

But I've had just the opposite: one person in a team of three being out for weeks at a time (their work still had to be covered though - gotta love doing two people's work). One lad with a hangover so bad every Monday that he just never came in (was ok once the project manager started planning on that basis, PITA before that). Another with the DTs so bad that he couldn't test anything which involved using a mouse. Another alcoholic who when he was caught after doing something outrageous in a production database lied and said I'd told him to do (I certainly hadn't - luckily they believed me.) A woman with a personality disorder who was prone to hitting people: I never got thumped (I think she knew I would insist on reporting it to the police), but many other people did. A couple more who are too hard to explain, but were very stressful to work with. None of these were outstanding workers, at any point in their cycle. At their best, they were competent, but there were long periods when they were far from their best.

So I can fully understand why an employer would discriminate on the basis of mental illness in general. And it's not totally illegal either: employers are required to make reasonable accommodation for disabilities, not to hire people who aren't able for the job.

I'm sure that I've also worked with people with well-managed mental illnesses which I didn't know about, too. But these are the ones who don't need to tell an employer about their issues because they manage themselves - which is what the OP should be heading for.

Funnily enough, anxiety is one that wouldn't worry me so much: unlike many other mental illnesses, anxiety is more likely to cause an employee to work hard to cover themselves.

Back2work

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm glad that you've had positive experiences with colleagues with mental illnesses.

But I've had just the opposite: one person in a team of three being out for weeks at a time (their work still had to be covered though - gotta love doing two people's work). One lad with a hangover so bad every Monday that he just never came in (was ok once the project manager started planning on that basis, PITA before that). Another with the DTs so bad that he couldn't test anything which involved using a mouse. Another alcoholic who when he was caught after doing something outrageous in a production database lied and said I'd told him to do (I certainly hadn't - luckily they believed me.) A woman with a personality disorder who was prone to hitting people: I never got thumped (I think she knew I would insist on reporting it to the police), but many other people did. A couple more who are too hard to explain, but were very stressful to work with. None of these were outstanding workers, at any point in their cycle. At their best, they were competent, but there were long periods when they were far from their best.

So I can fully understand why an employer would discriminate on the basis of mental illness in general. And it's not totally illegal either: employers are required to make reasonable accommodation for disabilities, not to hire people who aren't able for the job.

I'm sure that I've also worked with people with well-managed mental illnesses which I didn't know about, too. But these are the ones who don't need to tell an employer about their issues because they manage themselves - which is what the OP should be heading for.

Funnily enough, anxiety is one that wouldn't worry me so much: unlike many other mental illnesses, anxiety is more likely to cause an employee to work hard to cover themselves.

Hi Mrs OBumble

I have had anxiety for 17 yrs and it is manageable. However, I got a burnout from being forced to do the work of 4 employees and completely insane project deadlines. I tried to explain to my immediate manager, but his response was "just get the projects completed and walk after that". Thats what I did and paid thr price. If I had left before that, I probably wouldnt be in this situation now.

What would you recommend I put to fill the gap? I have never lied on my cv or in an interview before. In all my jobs, my appraisals were excellent, so I am a hard worker.

Hollister11

Lie

kuro2k

Just put down you went traveling

Heart Break Kid

Wanderer78 wrote: »

i find it disturbing that we cannot seem to accept people with long term illnesses. its actually a form of discrimination. anxiety disorders are very common and are manageable, employers should be more open to accepting people with all kinds of long term illnesses. i was recently diagnosed with dyslexia, this will be mentioned in my next interview, even though i dont have to disclose this, i feel its the best thing for me to do, even if it costs me a job. im lucky to have little or no responsibilities compared to most my age, so i guess i can take these risks, but as i said, i feel this is the right thing for me to do.

im not sure i have any advice for you op only i wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide.

As for declaring an illness in the way the OP has here. While not in a hiring capacity id be iffy with taking on domeone that would be somewhat unstable and may be a liability under a preasurised environment.

Dyslexia is not an illness. Probably wouldnt mention out of the gate. Dyslexic myself but would never wanted to be treated better than others because of it. Its how you overcame challanges thats important.

Forgive me for asking but besides being sick what did you do for three years? There could be other positives that did that could shorten the lenght of unemployment down?

Ps i dont mean to come off harsh