The Millennium Technological Leader says that cancer killed his job prospects at 32: ‘Now I came back where I started to say that I should work for free’

• Millennium Senior Manager says he’s out of work 432 days and filed 108 reports without success after taking the time to focus on cancer treatment – this is, despite more than a decade of experience and even British son of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is listed as an employer in his resume.

Amy McClelland was only 31 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in phase 2 or invasive ductal cancer, March 14, 2024.

Despite the fact that the employers who present their inclusive benefits today, including Cancer support groups – McClelland says that she has been diagnosed with her career prospects and has even been asked to work for free.

“I had a forced way out of my career to focus on cancer treatment, and it turns out that re -entering the technology world with experience as a higher leader is the most difficult professional obstacle to face,” she revealed Last week on Linkedin.

“In 4 months, I filed 108 applications, had 9 interviews, scored 3 stages of task and was unsuccessful in everything,” she continued. “Stopping my career to fight for my life is something I never expected to do at the age of 31.

Prior to the diagnosis, McClelland climbed the corporate ladder on higher control roles, on the main television channels such as channel 4 and the technological startup – including for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Euan Blair of Multiverse, First edtech unicorn in the UK.

But now she faces the reality of joining the work world after she has taken a career break to focus on passing through intensive chemotherapy and then surgery to remove the lump – as her oncologist advised her.

“I don’t think I realized how difficult it would be, but at that time it wasn’t consideration,” McClelland says Wealth. “Or did I do this cancer treatment and I achieve the best possible outcome, or I die.”

“Now that I’m here, I’m shocked how difficult it is.”

Asked to work for free with cities to “get used to working again”

Despite having had 14 years of experience, including 5 years of higher leadership in 4 countries and 3 continents, she was forced to start her career at Zero again and expected that she would apply for unpaid graduate internship.

Recently, an old colleague reached out to McClelland because of her expertise at their startup.

“I was like that, it’s amazing, and then she went through the conversation that they didn’t have money to pay me,” he remembers. “They positioned him as” to bring you back to your feet and get used to you again “the proposal.”

“I found that it was quite offensive because that person was someone I enjoyed working with, but that meant that I, because I had cancer, also forgot how to work, which is funny.”

Even since he announced the fight to find a job after a cancer, McClelland says that more unpaid “opportunities” overwhelmed her.

Recently, the founder of the playing study reached with a potential job offer.

“He said it was an opportunity, but I would not be paid immediately – and that no one works for him, which is for people who have just left the Uni and need more work experience,” she adds. “So it’s an unpaid internship.”

“I have had a decade of experience with globally recognized brands, and now I came back where I started to say that I should work for free.”

Go public with your health trip – or not

Since she has discovered her diagnosis at LinkedIn Last week, the post became viral, collecting thousands of likes and potential potential potential for new work.

“I created opportunities for myself because I said I needed help,” McClelland says, adding that she even heard from the same employment managers who had previously ceded her applications.

“I have at least four or five people who came to me and said,” We are actually hiring that role right now. ” “

“It is amazing to me that I am able to get this human reaction to Linkedin, where they see me as a potential candidate,” she adds. “But if I went through their procedure and applied that reduction.”

Although open about her health journey, she created positive conversations and a potential movement in her career on this occasion, this was not always the case: McClelland, who, from Christmas, hunting for work, says she had previously written similar posts and took them after taking over her supplies that she had a negative effect on her job prospects.

The second time she would go through the application procedure, only to refuse it after being honest with regard to her requests for hybrid work and other adjustments to her new needs.

“I think cancer is a huge thing that is very diverse. Maybe if you didn’t have a brush with it, it always seems to be a really huge insurmountable thing. When it is, depending on where the person with their treatment is, it is very controlled,” she says.

“But recruits tell me that people will actually only discriminate and it is better not to talk about it until you have already signed the contract – and then you discover if you need any support because technically, cancer is classified as a disability.”

Because of this, she hesitated to recommend to others moving in cancer and labor market to copy it.

“The only thing that is important is to go to the other side of this treatment,” McClelland says. “Only else from work with things would just be related to your network – and that doesn’t mean to tell everyone what’s going on with cancer, but there are people in your network who really want to see you can succeed, and these people will go through for you if you ask for help.”

“There was time in my cancer treatment when I couldn’t read, I couldn’t focus my eyes. I was a little hallucinated. There are really really night experiences where you won’t be able to work – and I’m not trying to scare anyone by saying these things, but it’s not about it if it’s not what you want to do,” he adds.

“It’s about just keeping a support network, both in your personal life, but also in your professional life, knowing who these people are and knowing who we just touch the shoulder and feel comfortable seeking help.”

This story is originally shown on Fortune.com

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