I got sick when I was 16. In and out of hospital for years, studied by correspondence, tried to attend classes when I was could, somehow managed to finish a Diploma from a hospital bed, entering the workforce at 23 with zero working experience.
That was awful. I didn’t get my first stable job until I was 26 because everyone wanted to know why there was no employment history, why it took me 4 years to get a 2 year qualification, why my highschool changed 3 months before graduation, why my college transcript listed my address as a “rehab facility” (they always assumed drug rehab, not “I had to relearn how to walk and not piss myself” rehab), why my references were all youth employment service officers or highschool teachers I hadn’t seen in >6 years.
And sadly, despite anti discrimination laws that attempt to prevent this from being a problem, “I’m disabled” is not the right answer to those questions if you’re hoping to get hired.
Took a lot of rehearsal to turn all those into positive proof that I will be a dedicated worker. But it sets a bad precident to say “not even a hospital admission will prevent me from working, have laptop will task monkey for money”.
It didn’t even feel like a “gap” for me, I never even got started, so how could there be a gap.
The longer I was unemployed the more “lazy” stigma my resume wreaked of.
Haven’t had an issue with stable work since then because turns out once you’re in, as long as you stay in, no one questions anything.
I got sick when I was 16. In and out of hospital for years, studied by correspondence, tried to attend classes when I was could, somehow managed to finish a Diploma from a hospital bed, entering the workforce at 23 with zero working experience.
That was awful. I didn’t get my first stable job until I was 26 because everyone wanted to know why there was no employment history, why it took me 4 years to get a 2 year qualification, why my highschool changed 3 months before graduation, why my college transcript listed my address as a “rehab facility” (they always assumed drug rehab, not “I had to relearn how to walk and not piss myself” rehab), why my references were all youth employment service officers or highschool teachers I hadn’t seen in >6 years.
And sadly, despite anti discrimination laws that attempt to prevent this from being a problem, “I’m disabled” is not the right answer to those questions if you’re hoping to get hired.
Took a lot of rehearsal to turn all those into positive proof that I will be a dedicated worker. But it sets a bad precident to say “not even a hospital admission will prevent me from working, have laptop will task monkey for money”.
It didn’t even feel like a “gap” for me, I never even got started, so how could there be a gap.
The longer I was unemployed the more “lazy” stigma my resume wreaked of.
Haven’t had an issue with stable work since then because turns out once you’re in, as long as you stay in, no one questions anything.
It feels like some stupid elitist club.