Resumes and Interviews
Intended Audience
All members, including people living with cancer, family members and significant caregivers.
Program Description
Having a history that includes cancer should not affect a person’s job prospects. In Resumes and Interviews (a companion to Wellspring’s Returning to Work program) members are guided in the process of constructing a new resume and preparing for an interview following a cancer diagnosis. This program identifies strategic and competitive advantages in the workplace, and helps members identify and present their distinctive collection of knowledge, skills, abilities, strengths, and experiences that are valuable and marketable.
“I needed to build my confidence in myself, not just resumes.”
“I found that the homework made me see this quality of experience I have to offer.”
“Resumes and Interviews gave me ideas for how to deal with the gaps and unpleasant parts of my job history.”
What to Expect at a Session
Members begin by reflecting on the transitions and learnings of previous work experiences
and capturing these in a retrievable format. Each session builds on the previous one
resulting in a resume template that is striking and can easily be tailored to a particular work
opportunity. A review of common interview formats, best practices, and strategies
for establishing ‘personal presence’ and answering difficult questions, rounds out
employment readiness. Follow up is an option for those who desire further coaching.
Benefits and Impact
Financial strain and job loss are common problems experienced by people living with cancer (CPAC, 2019; Iragorri et al., 2021; Longo et al., 2021). Many cancer survivors seek to return to work, and an Albertan study from 2022 found that doing so is among the top three practical concerns for many cancer patients (Link et al., 2022). However, returning to work is not always straightforward, and recent studies suggest that interventions supporting this process are needed for some cancer survivors (Fitch & Nicoll, 2019).
The Resumes and Interviews program is designed to support cancer survivors seeking new employment opportunities. Recent literature has found that informational support such as this is associated with reduced anxiety in people living with cancer (Goerling et al., 2020).
