I can't lie about medical stuff can I?

[FoofFighter]

I am job hunting and having no success at all at any interviews. I normally get offered the first job I interview for. I have been off work a while with a back problem, but need to be bringing in money again so cannot take any more time off.

At interviews if I am asked why I left my last job I tell them, and lie a bit and say it's ok/sorted when it's not really, but I can't lie and completely not tell them about it/the time off I had can I? Wouldn't it be counter-productive as when they go for references it'd come up then and look even worse!

I feel like I am stuck in a loop and I don't know what to do/say :(

Advice?

Do you have a helpful GP? Could you have an appointment and discuss the difficulty? Perhaps they would be willing to write a letter saying that no further problems are anticipated or something similar. You could give this to a potential employer as proof.

Don't let GP write a letter if they can't write something fairly positive though because that will make it worse!

But it's not sorted so I can't go and ask G{ to say it is as then he'll take my meds off me and my place on waiting list for an op :) and there are no guarantees similar won't happen but then it's something that can happen to anyone anyway so never going to be any guarantees.

I'm boosting my CV with new courses to bring skills up to date/accredit what i already know and am getting some voluntary experience too.

I'm getting so down about all this :( getting a job/interview is so hard these days as it is without this tacking against you

It's v difficult for you and you have my sympathy.

I guess if you could explain at interview how you would manage with the job when you were unwell that would be good. e.g. I would do essential work from home and would then make up the hours as soon as I could. I suppose that may not apply in lots of jobs.

Could you see the GP and explain the problem and ask for your operation to be sooner rather than later as it's affecting your work situation so badly? If you are willing to take cancellations i.e. go in to hosp at v short notice, you may be lucky.

Good luck with the job hunting.

Not in the kind of jobs I am applying for - unskilled, unprofessional run of the mill jobs.

I will just have to grit my teeth and plod on I suppose? I really don't want to go down the route of lying as I know as soon as they go to references that my ex bitch boss will tell them anyway and probably concentrate on the time I was off rather than the skills I have and what I accomplished!

Hmmm. V difficult. I'd be applying for things like that too if I hadn't given up looking! I've had a bad back quite frequently too so I know how you feel. I recently did 3 month program via a chairopriactor (24 visits) which much improved it. I was initially sceptical of committing to a large outlay moneywise but so fed up of the pain.

Use true but slightly evasive phrases I suppose. Best not to lie if at all possible.

Do you have the right kind of qualifications/experience to apply for more career type jobs. Employers may be more inclined to invest in you and make work place adjustments for this type of job.

Nope. I don't really fit the MN demographic being a lowly unskilled shops/catering/factory worker

I think I'm just fuckered basically until someone decides they are desperate! and don't have time to take up references think I am worth a shot

That's not to say I couldn't go to college to do stuff but I need a job and money, I can't take a few years out to study