Fibromyalgia and Job Hunting

Suffering from fibromyalgia may create some hindrance in your work. You can feel more exhausted on the top of the fatigue that you are having due to illness, depending on the nature of the job. While it is a challenge for you to manage your job, looking for a new job when you are suffering from fibromyalgia may even create more issues. Following are some questions that you need to ask yourself during the job search:

Can you find a telecommute scenario in the job?

There are a lot of people with fibromyalgia who find it really hard to hold down a traditional job, especially if the job requires long commutes or overtime. Having dealt with fibromyalgia and fatigue requires regular naps, which usually is not possible with many traditional jobs. The solution to this problem is working at home. You can still work while overcoming some of the biggest sources of stress. So, try to search for the job title or such field with word “remote” or “telecommute”.

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Should you reveal your disease during an interview?

Deciding about whether or not to mention your disease during the interview can be difficult for you. The biases of employers still affect the judgments regardless of the fact that Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects against discrimination. It is a personal decision whether or not to disclose your illness.

It is not necessary that your fibromyalgia is always a visibly outward illness. So, it is important for you to spin your disease in a positive light if you have decided to disclose it during the interview. Try to focus on the things that you still can do and highlight the obstacles that you have overcome instead of telling them that you will need some regular days off work. Keep that in mind that it is also appropriate to do so after you are hired.

Are you actually able to do all the job duties?

If you are unemployed or you don’t like your current job, you may feel desperate about having a new job. However, you must be honest with yourself that whether or not you can perform every single duty realistically, of the specific job that you are pursuing. Jobs that are physically demanding or the jobs that require high-stress level tend to be harder for people with fibromyalgia.

Make a list of possible needed places

According to the ADA, it is the right of disabled employees to work with reasonable places. You can make a list of the possible needed places in advance that will help you giving benefit and will make it easier for you to do the job. Following are some ideas:

• When possible, get the job instructions in writing.
• Reduce all the distractions in your work environment.
• Make some room for multiple shorter breaks for having rest instead of having longer breaks.
• Move the workstation near restrooms and office equipment.
• Implement the policy of fragrance-free workplace.

Would you get the benefit from Vocational Rehabilitation?

The work of vocational rehabilitation is to keep the people with disabilities in the workplace in most appropriate roles. Vocational rehab also helps you in discovering what kind of interventions you might need, in addition to performing assessments on your current working. If necessary, you can also get referrals to other services as well you can also get career counseling that will help you in finding a job that fits in with your physical needs.