Thursday, June 16, 2011

Resume

How do I explain an empty resume? I'm trying to do a new one and although I've done a lot of interesting things, none of them seem to be resume worthy. My main occupation this last 5 years has been to heal. Doing my best to survive day to day also doen't quite seem resume worthy. I have a lot of experience in my life which does fit but it's all before the last 5. I'm a bit stumped on this one.

I feel like I wil have CANCER stamped on my forehead if I try and have an interview. I still stumble and stutter when I meet someone new and they "wonder what I do". When I tell them I'm an artist they always want to know, "do I make my living that way". And every time I'm not sure how to say, I've been knocked off my feet for the last 5 years due to having cancer and a bone marrow transplant.

There is always the caught in the headlights kind of look and the awkwardness that follows. They try and not let it show while I answer about some of the things I've been doing since then, which is what they asked about, and then the conversation trails off.

I let them meander away and then always wonder what I should have said instead. I somehow foresee this as how an interview would go. The interviewer feeling sorry or freaked about me.

3 comments:

Caroline said...

I would say that for the past 5 years you have been taking time to spend with your family and are now ready to return to the workforce. That would be very logical - you have three boys and could talk about them easily. Cancer is no one's business but your own. I started a new job after treatment and just said a version of the truth - I was relatively newly married and wanted to work part time jobs to allow flexibility to spend with my husband.

Caroline said...

Check out www.cancerandcareers.org. Lots of tips and resources for working and looking for work post cancer.

maddy said...
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