Im angry about being overlooked for jobs because of lifting limits. Im great at what I do. And I'm tired of being seen as a liability when I work harder then most. Its not my fault I have autoimmune diseases. It doesn't make me any less capable of working. I have been a supervisor and manager. My references are perfect. Im at that point I'm hesitant to apply now, because I cannot handle yet another email saying I was unsuccessful. Iv stopped putting my limits on my applications, only bringing them up in interviews, hoping that seeing me will better my chances. I can't not let them know. Just give me a dam job already.
6 Replies
You either can physically do the job, therefore, nothing needs to be disclosed, or you can't do the job physically, then you need to disclose that and you become a liability. If they have 2 people they can choose from, one that can physically do all aspects of the job and one that can't, who do you think they will choose? My advice, apply for jobs you can physically handle, then there is nothing you need to disclose. If you work in a physically demanding industry, maybe it's time to switch career paths? It doesn't matter about experiences/references if you are telling them at the interview that you can't handle all aspects of the job.
and yes, it isn't your fault you have an autoimmune disease, but it also isn't their burden to carry. apply for jobs you can do, it's that simple really.
I only disclose if it's related to the job I'm applying for. Otherwise it is none of their business. Try as much as possible not to mention any limitations in interviews. It only needs to be mentioned if they need to accomodate you in some way. They will immediately start deducting points if you mention anything negative.
It is really hard to find employment right now and I know it can feel really defeating and it's hard not to take it personally but please try not to.
Maybe link up with an employment agency or even look at temp work somewhere in the meantime. It just takes a foot in the door. When you apply, immediately go searching for the next one to apply for. Definitely consider if there are any short courses to upskill in the meantime so you can add it to your resume. I volunteered so I could add it to my resume and the volunteer organisation offered me a paid position.
Keep going, it will change and it only takes one yes 🙏
You might be being too forthcoming with information or you’re not applying for jobs you’re actually suitable for.
As a hiring manager, I do have to take disclosures like this into consideration for the sake of the business and for the sake of my candidate. I have also found that some candidates go into a bit of a deep dive into their whole medical history, it comes from a place of wanting to be transparent but it can come across as a list of reasons you may not be able to complete the requirements of the role.
I love it when candidates give me a very brief run down, eg “I have *** medical condition, it is currently being managed with the assistance of my doctors and it does not affect my ability to perform the requirements of the role”.
OR, “I have *** medical condition so this limits my lifting capacity, however with some accomodations such as lifting equipment or the ability to move things in smaller loads - I am confident I can fulfill the requirements of the role”.
In short, give the employer all the ways that you CAN do something rather than leading with they ways that you CAN’T.
It’s also worth noting that the job market is tough right now. I’ve been hiring recently, I interviewed 20 great candidates but I only had 3 vacant positions
3 jobs, 20 ppl, that's actually quite good odds...
That’s 20 who made it to the interview stage, the amount of actual applicants was significantly more than this.
My actual point was that a really good portion of the people I interviewed would have been perfect for the roles but the only real reason they were unsuccessful was because I couldn’t hire everyone.