Day 3 of guest post week is a post from Cherise. Please be sure to follow her on Twitter because she is very active and gives great advice and comments.
I would like to thank Chris for inviting me to do a guest post for him. I am honored.
There once was a girl named Cherise, she lived in California but soon to relocate to Indianapolis. She knew she had to find a job but where and what to look for. Cherise searched high and low. She applied for many jobs but no one would respond. She almost gave up! One day she received an email from Sue. Sue asked if she would like to come in for a job interview on Thursday. Cherise was excited. Could this be it? She texted her husband and off she was to Kansas City, MO to hitch a ride with her mother to the great city of Indianapolis. Cherise knew she had to eat something to keep her blood sugars from rising but she didn’t have a clue what to eat. Cherise said, “I can’t eat too many carbs because I will get sleepy but if I don’t eat enough carbs I will go low.” Off to the waffle house she went.
She ate bacon, eggs and hash browns. She looked at her iphone and it was time to go. This is how the interviews went.
Interview number one: Hi! My name is Cherise. I have diabetes. If you hear anything alarming or buzzing don’t be alarmed. It could be my insulin pump or my continuous glucose monitor. It’s a little hot in here can I take my jacket off? The interview lasted an hour! It was fun and I enjoyed talking to all three of the ladies in the room.
Interview number two: Hi! My name is Cherise. I have diabetes. If you hear anything alarming or buzzing don’t be alarmed. It could be my insulin pump or my continuous glucose monitor.
Sue: “What if your blood sugar goes low? What do you do?”
Cherise: ␣I have glucose tablets I carry with my all the time. I eat a few of them; they bring my blood sugar up. After, I eat the glucose tablets I try to eat something that has protein in it to keep my bg’s leveled.”
Sue: “Ok, would you like a glass of water?”
Me: “Yes.␣”
The interview lasted about an hour and a half. It went great. I met with 2 people. I was asked about going back to school and why I wanted to become a CDE.
Interview number 3: This interview was sprung on me at the last minute. I was a little exhausted. Seriously, I started interviewing at 8am….. now 1pm. I repeated the same opening speech. I was excited! I have never had 3 interviews at once and all in the same place. My bg’s did not drop and I was offered a 2 positions out of the 3 I interviewed for. I know some people don’t like to disclose that they have diabetes when interviewing for a job but I try to be honest up front. I try to be open and honest with everyone. I have to go to the endocrinologist every 3 months. I could go low one day. IMO, the more people who know about me having diabetes the better it is for me in the long run.
In case you’re wondering, I went with job number 2.
Do you inform your potential employer that you have diabetes?
Be Blessed
Cherise
Thank you, Chris! I loved being apart of your guest blog week.
Great post, Cherise. I had already been at my current job for a couple of years or so at the time I got my double diagnosis, but I still went through the motions of informing everyone around me. And what I learned through disclosing my diagnosis was there are others here in the newsroom who have diabetes. So, I’m not walking this tight rope alone, or without a safety net. Knowing that helps a great deal.
I was diagnosed a year after started at my last job and worked there for another 4 years after that, so they all knew when I was diagnosed. I’m not sure if I’m going to when I interview for another job, but that won’t be for a couple of years!
I think that I might disclose it, because like you said there are many dr appointments and lows and such.
Great post Cherise!!
Great topic for discussion. I imagine there are as many good reasons to disclose as there are not to.
Yes, Cherise I do tell prospective employers I’m a diabetic. I even test and take insulin in front of them. It’s a test. I don’t want to work in a hostile work environment relative to my health.
Unfortunately, I did this test of my currently employer (the Dept of Defense, US Army). They assured me there would be no problem.
Wrong! A few months into the job I was informed that 4 supposedly intelligent coworkers complained – and lied I might add. The result is I have been banned from testing or taking insulin in public. They want me to go to a nasty dirty bathroom even after I explained sometimes my blood sugar is low and I couldn’t walk anywhere!
It’s a much longer story that just keeps getting worse. And it is having a negative affect on my health. The question is will I find a new job before they fire me?
I don’t know how I could have tested the waters any better than I did and I am astounded at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. I’m a very loud mouthed pro-diabetic advocate/mentor and I can’t figure out how I got myself into this mess. I feel like I’m caught in the diabetes version of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
Best wishes on your job! I commend you on your openness. No hidng in the corner for these girls!
Those of you who are interested as to what employers can and can’t do to you as a result of your diabetes might want to take a look at this EECO synopsis of the American with Disabilities Act: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/diabetes.html