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I WAS born with a cyst on the brain and have a tube from my skull to my stomach to drain the fluid. I was behind at school and had to be taught to learn to read and write again after I collapsed at 13. I didn’t go to college.
I have had part-time work, usually one or two days a week as a kitchen, checkout or retail assistant, but I have never been able to gain full-time employment. I am always honest about my medical condition during interviews but I never get any feedback from then on. Are they dismissing my ability to work? How do I get around this?
Steven, 30, Trowbridge, Wilts
FIRST of all, I have to say that honesty is not always the best policy. I’m certainly not suggesting you should lie but you need to be aware that neither are you required to disclose that you have a cerebral shunt – nor should you.
While your medical condition certainly had a very detrimental impact on your education, if it now has no “negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities”, you are not considered disabled under the terms of the Equality Act 2010. Even if you are considered disabled, employers are not supposed to discriminate. But we all know that plenty do!
So don’t bring up your
in IF you’re lacking recent work give experience, do consideration strong
It volunteering. to can make a huge your difference to your CV – and to employability. medical history. It’s not relevant. And don’t bother detailing your education, or lack of it, on your CV. Instead, focus on having a “functional” CV, detailing the broad range of skills you have acquired, rather than drawing attention to the somewhat chequered nature of your career so far by using a traditional “chronological” version. And how about looking for some volunteering opportunities to boost your CV?