What should I be doing now?

[MrsWaterford]

I’ve had ME since I was 17, had to leave school during last year of a levels and never been well enough to work. I’m now 33 and have been getting better over the last year and am at the point now of thinking I could manage a part time job.

Have I got any chance of being offered anything? I feel like employers would take one look at the amount of time I haven’t worked and that I’m still ill and not want to take a chance on me.

I’ve done a masters in mental health part time over the last 3 years and volunteer for 2 hours once a week so I haven’t done ‘nothing’ in all that time. Would be enough to show that I’m at least trying?

I’m worried about having to take more sick days than the average person and losing benefits and not being able to get them back if it doesn’t work out. I’d need a job where I can have a rest day in between shifts otherwise it’d be too much for me. I don’t mind what I do, just want to do something. Any ideas of the best areas I should be looking for work? I don’t want supermarket or carer roles for example because they would be too physically demanding for me. But would office work or similar be less sympathetic to having time off if I needed it?

Sorry that’s long, just needed to talk through options and I haven’t got many friends left since being ill.

How about a librarian? Very specific I know but I suppose you could do one day on one day off

Would you still need a day off in between if you worked shorter days? I’m thinking maybe look in the charity sector for either a job share or part time role. I think they would be more focused on your experiences rather than your work history. I think the Guardian has a specific charity sector category in their job search. Whatever you apply for, really emphasise your “life experience”. I was out of the job market for 10 years due to having my DC (and I had them young so had no prior work history) and I went for something really competitive but beat candidates who were far more qualified than me, and had more experience, purely down to the fact I displayed I had been through difficulties and came out the other side. Talk about everything you have had to face, and how you have overcome each obstacle. Use your experiences as a positive rather than a negative.

You say you don't want a career role but there are some support worker type roles where it's for people with mental health problems etc. Where they need an advocate to help with appointments or legal stuff, or where they need somebody to help them with their lives but not their physical care so no lifting etc.

I have a friend who is a cater and never does any manual lifting. She also has flexible shifts.

Carer*

Also it may be worth looking at charity work or working on a helpline. Some are volunteers yes but lots of places pay too.