Should you bring up major health incidents in an interview?
Hi everyone,
Is it a bad idea to bring up personal health battles in an interview?
About a year and a half through my degree (mid-2016) I had an aneurysmal SAH. In the circumstances I was extremely lucky to be alive and spent a while in ICU. After I was discharged, my surgeon told me to steer clear of study and work for at least six weeks. Naturally, this entire episode stuffed up my semester, degree progression, and any hope I had of securing an internship over the summer break (Christmas here). The following year, right in the middle of semester and recruiting season, my neuro team instructed me to stop taking one of my anti-platelet drugs. Long story short, within two weeks of stopping those I had a stroke and was back in hospital.
I'm fortunate enough to have gone through everything (fingers crossed..) without picking up any physical or neurological deficits and have maintained a 3.9+ GPA at a target school. I'm now preparing to apply for IB internships for the summer, but have reservations about my lack of professional experience. If I'm asked, in an interview or networking situation, why I didn't bother to seek out an internship sooner, should I recount or avoid my health story? My main concerns are that the firm/interviewer/coffee companion might see it as a sob story or that I'm a potential hire risk or both. The whole experience has taught me a lot and I have lots of good anecdotes but I'm not sure how appropriate it is to bring up this kind of stuff.
Anyway, let me know what you think!
You seem like a very intelligent, well-spoken individual, and your situation reminds me of what I went through about six months ago (sans the 3.9+ GPA). I would tell the story in an interview, but not embellish at all (not that you would feel the need to do so). If someone decides to turn you down for a position because you explained how you've succeeded academically despite extraordinary circumstances regarding unforeseen medical problems, then you likely would not want to be co-workers with that individual in the first place.
Conquering a severe, potentially life-threatening health crisis often times provides an individual with a unique, invaluable perspective on life that should be looked upon positively by any potential worthwhile employer.
Best of luck to you.
If you're asked about the perceived gap on your resume then I think it's appropriate to tell the truth. You can do this in a professional way by providing the pertinent information only and then remaining light on the other details.
In my opinion, they should know: i) you had a couple of serious health scares, ii) you were advised by a doctor to put your studies and work on hold, iii) the health issues are behind you.
Most interviewers won't question you beyond that - health issues are personal and asking for details can be seen as invasive in a professional setting. Some people can't help but show empathy by asking you what happened. If you want to divulge you can feel free, or you can just say the details are personal. That's up to you. Ultimately I think the trick here is to share what's necessary when asked, but not proactively offer up excuses when none are required. You've got a 3.9 at a target school despite some serious adversity. I think most employers are going to look at your experience very favorably.
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