It's your choice. I could be
wrong. Mtnjim's approach is one way, although any extended illness could indicate possible future health problems
in an employer's eye.
It really just depends on the situation, and luck of the draw. My first inclination would
be to turn my illness (and renewed sense of courage, focus, priorities, and determination, etc.) into a glowing
positive, without being preoccupied with it, or using it too much as an excuse. What the hell kind of character
building was the guy or gal interviewing you engaged in in the past five years? It can be similar to being in the
military or Peace Corps, if one creates that character from the experience. It makes a compelling story for selling
certain positive qualities, especially if you can embellish it with other things from your life somehow. I
personally would feel confident I could sell it to most audiences. That's just me.
Not everyone will want to
invest in you. But many will. The guy on Larry King is just one guy, with one boss. What kind of jackass thinks,
"Had cancer, won't hire him!"? Would you want to work for that person anyway?
Every potential employee carries
risks, including health risks. You just have to know how you represent far more potential return and benefits than
risks, and feel confident in that.
You know what the possibilities and/or statistics of relapse are for your
situation. You are taking more of a risk with your health than any employer. You can decide what you feel
comfortable with yourself, and if you don't have a problem with it, why should anyone else? To be frank, if you
thought you were going to die tomorrow, you wouldn't invest in extensive training either, so you must already feel
good about your intention to work at what you want to do. You must feel strongly that your own logic is more sound
than any potential naysayer's. If they bring the risk up, your confidence here will be valuable. You can tell them
you are recovered, no longer needing treatment, and in permanent remission; as far as medical science can tell, for
example. That would be honest.
On the other hand, you might conclude that you have to "withhold" certain aspects
to be most true to yourself and the world. This could be one of those rare instances. Maybe I just ain't
seein' it. But if you really did, all things considered, then you could still feel good, that you were living with
maximum integrity.
You can always look at each potential job separately, and finesse your resume accordingly. You
can also modify your approach over time with experience.
I just think I can detect a little negative,
pessimistic, fatalistic thinking on your part, over and above "what the situation calls for"; and wonder whether
that might be interfering with your perception of reality a slight little bit.
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