CVs and interviews

You can state on your CV that you have been managing long term health condition during the time that you were not working. This will then make the employer aware that you are protected from discrimination on the grounds of your disability, in line with the Equality Act of 2010 which places a duty on all employers to take positive action with disabled candidates.

This means that if you let employers know that you are disabled they have a duty to consider employing you.

CV hints

• It is advisable to make a template CV, adjusting the content to suit the job specification for each role you are applying for.
• Put as much training and volunteer work as possible on your CV including any relevant work you have done.
• Remember: a lot of employers do not even ask for a CV but ask you to fill in an application form, which can help make gaps in work history less obvious.

Interview tips

• List all of the skills and experiences you have gained from any work you have done in preparation for the interview.
• Do not underestimate the transferable skills you have learnt just by managing your long term health condition; for example budgeting, handling stress, dealing with people. You could use these examples in your interview without having to disclose your status.
• Read the job specification carefully prior to your interview and prepare examples from your own experience (work related and/or personal) that meet each specification.

Finally, remember - a good employer will value life experience and transferable skills just as much as specific job skills.