Job seeking with a history of depression and stress

sagalout1954

Raksha, if you like to work for small companies, do you think it would improve your chances of being shorlisted if you go out of your way to tell them in your application that you've been ill with depression/stress, or that 'adjustments' were made so you could cope better on your return to work? Competition for jobs is SO fierce at the moment, I don't think being too open about it will improve your chances.

I've often been asked on app forms "reason for leaving", and I always put "redundancy due to restructure", doesn't need any more than that IMO.

Good luck with the jobhunting.

skattykatty

Raksha, I'm sorry you've had to go through this and hope that you are receiving the support you need. I ended up leaving my last job due to anxiety and depression and didn't work for six months after that. I then applied for a part-time job to get me back in to work. I actually accounted for the gap in my employment as 'imminent changes in personal life' or something like that. I didn't refer to my illness at all on application form and wasn't asked any specific questions during the interview, and I certainly didn't volunteer the information. However, when I got the job and the Health Questionnaire I told the truth. I was called in for a 'chat' with a very anxious and uncomfortable manager (I think there was an element of 'there but for the fortune') and just said 'If I didn't think I could do this I wouldn't have applied.' Anyway, that was almost 3 years ago, I'm still there and I haven't had a problem. You DO need to look after yourself, so don't tell what they don't need to know until you feel you may need to, i.e. health form. There is a lot of ignorance about these matters so be prepared for that...(it's not you, it's very definitely them!!!) all the best...