Comments on: Are you ready for the elephant in the room? http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/ Mon, 07 May 2012 12:58:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-22572 Rosalind Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:35:42 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-22572 I am glad this is helpful. I am glad this is helpful.

]]> By: Aimie http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-22571 Aimie Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:26:43 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-22571 I love your blogs. Each one helps me navigate through job search, interview and etc. I love your blogs. Each one helps me navigate through job search, interview and etc.

]]> By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-20602 Rosalind Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:33:14 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-20602 Amy- You might ask yourself: what are my options for handling this? If you put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager, do you have some ideas what would help that person understand your situation enough and still want to meet and interview/hire you? If you haven't a clue, then say as little as possible until you have a clearer idea. Your friend can do the same - she can defer and say that it's best you explain it. Most importantly, don't disclose any more than is absolutely necessary and certainly, not until you get an interview. If your resume has gaps that you don't know how to fill-spend the money to get help from a resume writer so you can emphasize your strengths - not the gaps. Amy- You might ask yourself: what are my options for handling this? If you put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager, do you have some ideas what would help that person understand your situation enough and still want to meet and interview/hire you? If you haven’t a clue, then say as little as possible until you have a clearer idea. Your friend can do the same – she can defer and say that it’s best you explain it. Most importantly, don’t disclose any more than is absolutely necessary and certainly, not until you get an interview.
If your resume has gaps that you don’t know how to fill-spend the money to get help from a resume writer so you can emphasize your strengths – not the gaps.

]]> By: Amy http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-20601 Amy Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:50:13 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-20601 I'm in a somewhat similar situation now - I am using a friend as reference for a job, she is handing in my application. It would be the first position I am applying for after being out of the market 2 years with my illness -- so an obvious resume gap will show up. I think I might try to give my friend some advice on what to say if the hiring manager asks her about my work history gap - but what? I'm not even sure what I should say about it! Any advice?? I’m in a somewhat similar situation now – I am using a friend as reference for a job, she is handing in my application. It would be the first position I am applying for after being out of the market 2 years with my illness — so an obvious resume gap will show up. I think I might try to give my friend some advice on what to say if the hiring manager asks her about my work history gap – but what? I’m not even sure what I should say about it! Any advice??

]]> By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-20478 Rosalind Tue, 18 May 2010 12:52:23 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-20478 Good point, Gayle. Actually, what happened here is not unusual from what I've seen. My client's former colleague mentioned her illness to this contact prior to when she set this meeting up. The problem for my client is that she hadn't considered this possibility. And that's the key element. Thinking strategically, you always have to be prepared for the 'possibility'. Good point, Gayle. Actually, what happened here is not unusual from what I’ve seen. My client’s former colleague mentioned her illness to this contact prior to when she set this meeting up. The problem for my client is that she hadn’t considered this possibility. And that’s the key element. Thinking strategically, you always have to be prepared for the ‘possibility’.

]]> By: Gayle Howard http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-20474 Gayle Howard Tue, 18 May 2010 08:02:40 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-20474 Clearly the interviewer was a little too well briefed by the referring colleague from the candidate's former workplace. I'm not sure the referring "friend" did the candidate any favors by revealing personal illness to a potential employer without giving them the opportunity to hear first hand how talented she was! Why simultaneously refer and sabotage the candidate? I think perhaps the moral of this story (to prepare for that elephant in the room) would have been to discuss just what the reference either had said or was about to say. If the candidate had known that her former colleague had spoken of her health issues, at least she could have gone in with a prepared strategy rather than being "caught on the hop". The employer/interviewer obviously had the advantage of knowing something about the candidate that could have been handled quite differently if the candidate had talked with the reference before the interview. Clearly the interviewer was a little too well briefed by the referring colleague from the candidate’s former workplace.

I’m not sure the referring “friend” did the candidate any favors by revealing personal illness to a potential employer without giving them the opportunity to hear first hand how talented she was! Why simultaneously refer and sabotage the candidate?

I think perhaps the moral of this story (to prepare for that elephant in the room) would have been to discuss just what the reference either had said or was about to say. If the candidate had known that her former colleague had spoken of her health issues, at least she could have gone in with a prepared strategy rather than being “caught on the hop”.

The employer/interviewer obviously had the advantage of knowing something about the candidate that could have been handled quite differently if the candidate had talked with the reference before the interview.

]]> By: Rosalind http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-20461 Rosalind Sat, 15 May 2010 18:46:13 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-20461 Thank you for my emphasis on preparation! Thank you for my emphasis on preparation!

]]> By: career sherpa http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-20460 career sherpa Sat, 15 May 2010 09:05:17 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-20460 Rosalind: Super story of how we overlook the obvious! The answer to the elephant in the room question has to be carefully constructed and that requires preparation. It is nearly impossible to handle this on the fly the way we really would have wanted to. Planning/preparing for an interview is so much more than having your clothes ready! Thanks for your story! Rosalind:
Super story of how we overlook the obvious! The answer to the elephant in the room question has to be carefully constructed and that requires preparation. It is nearly impossible to handle this on the fly the way we really would have wanted to. Planning/preparing for an interview is so much more than having your clothes ready! Thanks for your story!

]]> By: Prepare your references for job search success | Career Management Alliance Blog http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-20453 Prepare your references for job search success | Career Management Alliance Blog Fri, 14 May 2010 15:30:01 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-20453 [...] Are You Ready for the Elephant in the Room? @WorkWithIllness [...] [...] Are You Ready for the Elephant in the Room? @WorkWithIllness [...]

]]> By: Take a Ride in the Elevator Before You Interview | Career Management Alliance Blog http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2010/05/are-you-ready-for-the-elephants-in-the-room/comment-page-1/#comment-20451 Take a Ride in the Elevator Before You Interview | Career Management Alliance Blog Fri, 14 May 2010 14:28:29 +0000 http://workingwithchronicillness.com/?p=1624#comment-20451 [...] Are You Ready for the Elephant in the Room? @WorkWithIllness [...] [...] Are You Ready for the Elephant in the Room? @WorkWithIllness [...]

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