Submitted by Justin N on
in
Forums
A family member is recovering from a concussion but wants to apply for a job, how does she address this with the hiring copany? She is a lawyer at an elite firm and has been considering becoming general counsel at a company instead due to the better hours. A job has come up that is ideal for her, but she is only now transitioning back to work after an 8-month absence due to a concussion. She is currently working 2-3 half-days per week, with the intention of gradually working up to a full schedule again but not knowing when that might be possible.
How can she approach this issue with the hiring organization? Should she tell them straight off in the first interview, put it in the cover letter, or wiat till they give her an offer and then negotiate a gradual transition to full-time?
Thanks for your guidance!
As early and as often as she can
Uncertain timing on return from injury from present quarter-time certainly changes the conversation -- most jobs I'm aware of are full-time unless explicitly stated otherwise. She'll probably have to network to find opportunities which match this unusual schedule.
She should address this as early as possible, and often. If an employer needs one full-time person immediately for a major work-load, she's not a good fit, and an earlier "no" is better than a later "no" for all.
Is she still with the elite firm? She might be better off completing recovery at that firm (health and safety permitting), then seeking a transition.
Stay if you can
TBI (Tramatic Brain Injury) is a tricky thing. While I agree she should network and keep tabs on her line of business if her current firm is satistifed with her performance, with little chance of her losing her current situation, my bias is she stay put until fully recovered. If on the other hand her elite firm is overtaxing her recovery then address it early and as the motivation for making a change with the bonus being the goodwill her new firm or company has getting a rock star in a position of recovery and therefore likely more loyal than an employee moving for another reason.
Stay if you can
TBI (Tramatic Brain Injury) is a tricky thing. While I agree she should network and keep tabs on her line of business if her current firm is satistifed with her performance, with little chance of her losing her current situation, my bias is she stay put until fully recovered. If on the other hand her elite firm is overtaxing her recovery then address it early and as the motivation for making a change with the bonus being the goodwill her new firm or company has getting a rock star in a position of recovery and therefore likely more loyal than an employee moving for another reason.