Living with chronic illness can leave you feeling like you just don’t have choice.      NO!   Wait!  That’s not the warrior spirit.  If there’s one thing you always have, it is choice.  That’s why Johnny Paycheck’s song, Take this Job and Shove it, has always been one of my favorite war cries. Paycheck recognized that each of us has to know that we can say NO.

But we can also say YES.  And, yes, chronic illness can make this choices blurry. That’s why I created a set of criteria you can use for  Women, Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working Girlfriend!  and I’m sharing it with you here:

EVALUATE IF A JOB IS RIGHT FOR YOU—WHETHER YOU’RE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED OR SHOPPING AROUND

If you’re planning to stay in your job or field, ask yourself:

• Do I have the knowledge and skills to do this job well?
• If not, what do I need in terms of training and experience? Is it worth the expense to get it?
• Do I like what I do well enough to do it on both good days and bad?
• Can I do the job when my symptoms worsen?
• Is there room for me to grow?
• Is this something I want to do – and can plan to do – for the long run?
• Is there a market for my skills in other industries if the one I’m currently working in has a downturn?

If you’re dealing with advancement issues, ask yourself:
• Is this job usually a steppingstone to a higher position?
• If so, can I physically/mentally move up to the next rung?
• How would it affect me if I stayed in this position? Would I be underemployed, and how would that affect me?

If you’re planning a career change, ask yourself:
• All of the above questions, and:
• Can I afford the training and the time it will take to facilitate a job change? If not now, when?
• Are there options to make a move more affordable?
• Have I done all the necessary research regarding new job opportunities?
• How much and what kind of experience will I need to get the job that I want?

Take your own functional/vocational health assessment:
• What is the range of my symptoms – inactive, mild, or debilitating – and how do they impact me?
• What are the skills, competencies, and physical/mental abilities required by my current job?
• Do the limitations posed by my symptoms allow me to meet these requirements?

Identify the best type of work environment for you:
• What matters most to me: work hours, commute, company philosophy, salary, benefits?
• Do I want the job for the long run (several years or more) or a quick turnaround?
• Is there opportunity for growth, and will my illness play a role in my ability to move ahead?
• How much job flexibility do I need? Will it be available to me?
• What is the corporate culture like? Do the actions of the company support its philosophy? Are policies employee-friendly?
• Can I expect support from my boss?
• Can I realistically find everything I’m looking for? (This is a tough one, and you’ll need to prioritize.)
Print this and adapt it for you.  Do you have any suggestions – did we miss anything?

Rosalind

P.S. -We got the galleys today!  That means it’s not in finished form but there’s a hard copy version that goes out to bookstores and reviewers.  Very exciting!!!! 

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