by Torski Dobson-Arnold

I am a 23 year-old male and I graduated from college in August of 2009. I got a job at a land development company shortly thereafter and worked for about six months. Then I was laid off in January due to budget constraints. During the downtime, I was having some medical problems and getting a diagnosis was time consuming. I was finally diagnosed last month and had minor surgery to correct the issue. I am starting to look for work again but when a potential employer asks me about what I did during this down time, I am not sure as to how to respond. I am afraid about being honest about this because the fact that I’ve had medical complications might scare hiring managers away. What are your thoughts?

Medically Sound Again
Fortunately, having a six months hiatus in employment right now is the norm among others who have also been laid off, downsized, or merged out of their jobs. Not only do you not need to explain anything about your medical condition, but from a job-seeking perspective, it’s none of their business anyway.
During an interview, employers are most concerned about one thing: Can this applicant do an exceptional job for our company to help us make money, save money, build clientele, or promote our brand?

Also, keep in mind too that this line of question should not be asked or referenced in the interview setting. It is illegal for an interviewer to question personal issues and questions should always come from a reference point of the job in which you are interviewing for. As an example, an interviewer could frame a question this way: “This job requires you to lift up to 75 pounds. Are you able to meet this requirement of the position?” However, an interviewer should not ask questions such as “Do you have a medical condition or disability?” See the difference?

I hope this helps!

Torski Dobson-Arnold, Your Career Confidence Coach

Date of publication: July 28, 2010
Read more in this section: the Next Level