People, I’ve finally landed a job! After many application and interviews over the last few years, I’ve finally done it!
However, the 2 interviews I had were done on Teams, and even though I’ve now signed the contract, they don’t know that I had a stroke, gosh, 6 years ago, meaning they have no idea about my right hand still has limited dexterity, which restricts activities requiring fine coordination, such as typing or writing which I used to do. Nor do they know about my aphasia. But as the successful interviews for this company have testified (I had 2 interviews), my aphasia is not so much of a threatening advisory as a scuffle these days.
So the question is: do I tell them about my right hand, as I find typing more accessible when I can glide over the keys of a low-profile keyboard when typing with my left hand (I think I’ll get a laptop with this role anyway, which will suit)? Equally, do I tell them about my aphasia, at all?
The role is in IT, so I don’t imagine I’ll be writing that much.
Congrats on the job!
I have to ask myself what would I do? I suppose the question depends really whether you were asked about your medical history. If you wern’t asked then surely you have no obligation to declare it. If any medical conditions were important in relation to the job then it’s their responsibility to ask. They can’t expect you to guess what they may or may not want to hear. On the other hand of course, they will expect you to be able to do the job, so if you have any doubts about that you can either tell them and risk losing the job or just wait and see. I think the latter option would be best.
Thanks! Still celebrating! It’s been such a long time. And the role is hybrid, too - which is an enormous benifit for me.
I had to complete a Bupa questionnaire on which I mentioned my limited dexterity, but I didn’t mention my aphasia. I then had a call from a Bupa OT to confirm what I needed (low-profile keyboard/laptop) and then she signed me fit for work. I’m not sure the OT knew what the responsibilities and accountabilities of the role were though.
Congratulations, I’m so pleased for you
You are clearly proficiently enough if you passed 2 interviews on Teams, I mean that is up close and personal with nothing to distract the interviewer. So they would have picked up on any impediments that could be an issue to them, and clearly they didn’t! So long as you can do the job, that’s all that matters to them. So just relax and celebrate.
The funny thing is, if you’d never had a stroke, you’d still have concerns…just not the same ones. It’s a new job, new people and it’s been a while since you last worked so naturally your confidence is going to have a bit of a wobble. But you’ll be fine once you’re a couple weeks in and relaxed more.
Good Luck
I’d reflect what other people have said. I’ll try and crystallise a few things.
I assume that you answered all the questions in good faith - and from that I would conclude that you have met all your obligations and gave them sufficient information for their decision making.
I completely agree with emerald that you’re anxious and you focus on what you imagine is material to them. That’s just natural. Another way of saying it is the highest nail gets the hammer’s attention.
Clearly the interview process over teams would have a large verbal component so your communication skills would have been fully on display. A thick accent or heavy stutter can be hard to understand - it’s probably thinking skills that matter not verbalising that is the beginning & end of why you where the successful candidate (?)
You’ve said the OT and I guess to others that typing is easier with a low profile keyboard - I assume nobody asked why or if they did you said because my limited dexterity (?)
I don’t know employment law but I have a suspicion that you are not obliged to relay your medical history because of disability discrimination. However I would expect that the natural acuity for all humans have in observing other people will give rise at some point to people noticing that there is a variation from the norm. For most people ‘manners’ or decency will keep their curiosity unspoken. You might like to think about who and in what circumstance you’ll casually mention "when I had my stroke …but I’m much better now/ It’s been a long journey back/…” or whatever phrase suits you.
It’s quite likely this tit-bit will then flow around the grapevine and become common knowledge without ever being discussed. I don’t know whether that makes you uncomfortable or seems a strategy that moves it from private fact to common knowledge?
The 1st interview went through my experience and knowledge. The 2nd one much the same together with a few situational Qs. Thankfully, I’ve got the experience and knowledge they’re looking for.
As part of the application process I ticked the box to say I’m disabled but there was nowhere to add anything else. Additionally, I only mentioned my limited dexterity to the Bupa OT because this company required a Bupa questionnaire to be completed, but I have no idea what type of feedback she gave to the company.
Aside from the above, I’ve decided to adopt the wait and see approach and have not disclosed anything to the company at this point.
It’s a Systems Engineer role. The company is building new IT services in the cloud as opposed to lifting and shifting their dated on-premise services to it, meaning there’s nothing physical to do as it’s all software defined.
@im72 if it’s like where I work no medical details are given to the employer from the pre employment medical questionnaire- they are purely told whether you’ve passed or failed the medical.
Sounds like you’ll do great at the job.
Wishing you the best of luck with it & look forward to hearing how you get on.
You ticked the box - literally and figuratively I expect the Bupa questionnaire was to? determine the premium for adding you to the health insurance.
Forget the keyboard why don’t you use gboard I use it for all my posts to this forum!
We could now have a conversation about AWS Azure, digital ocean etc etc Perhaps they’re going for something that’s a full managed service rather than just VPS compute and bandwidth ?
Yeh, this company advertised Bupa membership, which they said is optional - just as well as I’d never get it now!
My last company streamlined their IT services with AWS and other SaaS solutions, and I’ve gone on to earn all 3 associates post stroke. This new outfit appears to be Azure all the way (IaaS, SaaS (MS 365)). I’ve been using MS products for, ahem, X amount of years, and my last company hosted a few archive boxes in Azure even though everything else was in off-shore Colos. Additionally, I’ve already got my Fundamentals and Admin cert and am looking to sit the Designing Azure Solutions very shortly.
I’m excitedly nervous or nervously excited about this new venture. Thrilled, too.
Yeah that was a bit like talking to a PT or an OT wasn’t it!
AWS is Amazon web services
SaaS is software as a service
IaaS is infrastructure as a service
Ms365 is roughly Microsoft office desktop productivity tools
Colos is (I believe) labels like barcodes for warehouse and stock control
I started yesterday. However, today was interesting. So yesterday I drove to the office (12 miles away), but today was the very day I tried public transport to get to the office. The 1st bus (which was on time) was ‘Not In Service’, and the 2nd went into limp mode literally a mile from the house. Driver lets the engine rest before firing it back up. Moving again until the next stop. Limp mode again. Driver manages to get it moving but says he’s going to drop us off a couple if miles further, adding that the another bus is not for behind.
I stroll into work at 09.25. My boss goes, ‘It’s not an issue. We don’t look at hours worked. We focus on outputs.’ Then, at the end of day, aside from me, he was the last IT member to leave, with most leaving between 16.00 and 16.30. He left at 16.40, adding (again), ‘You don’t have to say just for the sake of it. We don’t do hours, we’re agile.’
Please don’t be silly - I actually enjoyed it and as a result of me asking my IT mates they are going to come round one evening next week for some football and pizza!!
I stroll into work at 09.25. My boss goes, ‘It’s not an issue. We don’t look at hours worked. We focus on outputs.’ Then, at the end of day, aside from me, he was the last IT member to leave, with most leaving between 16.00 and 16.30. He left at 16.40, adding (again), ‘You don’t have to say just for the sake of it. We don’t do hours, we’re agile.’
I think this might be my kind of place.
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That sounds like my kind of place too. you seem like you handled it so well despite your frustration with transport and kept cool (like a polar bear of course ).
I am so so impressed and I hope in a few years or whenever I may be able to do something as brave as you and get back into work!!
I applaud you and your attitude. I think you will get on with your boss and colleagues!
milestone
I expect the Bupa questionnaire was to? determine the premium for adding you to the health insurance.
).