Cher Forman
"Ask Cher"
Cher Forman has over 20 years of domestic and international Human Resources experience in organizations ranging from startups to $3B. As Director or Vice President, she has managed Human Resources groups at Applied Materials, Stanford Telecom, Ask Computer Systems, Teledex and Tri-Data Corporation and consulted on H.R. philosophy, values and infrastructure with many start-ups as well. Cher has managed several of these firms through rapid expansion and significant organizational challenges. While at Applied Materials, she led her business unit as the company grew from 6,000 to 16,000 employees in three years. Ms. Forman has specific expertise in employment, corporate legal compliance, development of cost effective compensation/benefit strategies, organization development and international HR management. She has a degree in Organization Behavior from the University of San Francisco and has participated in advanced training at several other colleges and universities.
Dear Cher:
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I have a job hunt dilemma I hope you may be able to help me with. I’m a woman in my 20’s with a two year gap in the progression of my career. I was working on my PhD when I was struck with breast cancer and spent the next two years fighting it. How do I handle this two year gap on my resume and in an interview? I’m just not sure it’s smart to tell an interviewer, or a future employer, that I have recently had cancer. I don’t want to hide it from anybody, but I’m concerned it could make someone think twice about hiring me. Meg
Answer:
Dear Meg,
Now that’s a good question to ask someone like me, who has, as they say, “no skin in the game.” Sometimes it’s hard for friends or family members to look at a question like yours and remain impartial about the answer.
I was fortunate enough to have a chance to speak with you about this dilemma, and, it turns out, you have a perfectly good answer for the question. You just weren’t aware how good it is. As you know, most employers will be curious about a two year gap in your career with no logical explanation. When we spoke you mentioned that you had actually spent a great deal of your recovery time, and afterwards, volunteering for breast cancer awareness activities. The volunteer experience taught you a lot, and, at the same time, you were also helping others.
The answer to your inquiry then became easy. You tell the truth. That a family member learned she had cancer, and, to support her recovery, you spent those two years volunteering for breast cancer charities. Talk about all the work related organization and interpersonal skills you gained during that time, and don’t volunteer any more personal information. If they push further, just say how fortunate you were to have a close family who supported what you were doing and what a great learning experience it was for you. I’m sure you’ll be able to line up some good references to praise your volunteering skills. Remember, during the interview process an employer has no legal reason to know you were ill, especially when you’ve already recovered and wouldn’t need any type of special accommodation from them.
The last thing you were wondering is if it’s smart to tell people who become friends or colleagues at your new job about your cancer once you are working. My answer is, of course, yes. Just use discretion. Don’t act as though it’s been a big secret, just something you didn’t know exactly how to discuss with people until you knew them a little better.
Meg, you are a young woman with a great career ahead of you. Because of your illness, you are a little wiser than many employees your age. I can tell you will bring any new employer an unforeseen level of maturity that will be a very positive influence on the environment you work in.
Good luck. Feel free to contact me at ourexperiencecounts.com if you have more questions.
All the Best, Cher
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