Matters
Getting the job when you have MS
by Stephanie Watson
Getting hired when you have multiple sclerosis is
challenging—but not impossible.
If you handle the interview
process with confidence, and
know how much to reveal to a
prospective employer, you can
vastly improve your odds of
getting an offer.
job responsibilities. Those
accommodations may include
a flexible schedule, a parking
space close to the building or
ergonomic office equipment.
To tell, or not to tell?
So you’ve decided the position
is within your abilities—or
can be made so with a few
accommodations. You’ve sent
out your resume (see sidebar,
“The right resume,” pg. 45) and
now the employer has asked you
for an interview. What next? Do
Visit the Job Accommodation
Network at askjan.org, or call
800-526-7234 for a wealth of
information about the ADA. Find
real-life examples of workplace
accommodations at askjan
.org/media/ mult.htm.
Can you handle the job?
Before you send out a resume or
accept an appointment for an
interview, think about whether
the position is a good match. “I
definitely think it’s important
to do a self-assessment,” says
Steve Nissen, the National
MS Society’s senior director of
Employment and Community
Programs in the Washington,
D.C., area. Make a list of
symptoms you’re experiencing
or have had in the past, “and
strategize how to manage those
symptoms moving forward,”
Nissen advises.
Would you need
accommodations to perform
certain job functions? What
would those accommodations
be? Under the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA),
companies with more than
15 employees are required
to make any “reasonable
accommodations” that employees
with disabling conditions
need to fulfill their essential
IMAGE SOURCE/GETTY IMAGES
you tell the interviewer about
your MS, or not?
“You want to be evaluated
based on your skills and abilities,
so if your symptoms aren’t visible,
Applying for jobs can be nerve-wracking
enough on its own. But MS makes it even
more complicated. Use these ideas to turn the
process to your advantage.
