I had a job interview today for a nanny position. It seemed to go well besides the fact I was still feeling a little groggy from medication the night before and the lack of sleep that sometimes comes with it. My anxiety kept me up all through the night and it continued into the interview. Wonderful.
Through my whole stammering and stuttering (which, pre-meds I was a lot more articulate) I managed to get through it in one piece. Then I went through the "Oh God, what could I have done better?" stage. You don't have to be Bipolar to feel that part of a post job interview. If you do have Bipolar disorder it is hard to feel like you fit in with the rest of the crowd, because that's part of it right? The poor me-I can't stand this, it's too hard, I have no control. Those constant nagging voices inside your head that make it impossible to think? You know what I'm talking about.
It feels like people think your a freak and avoid you like the plague. Worse though is trying to get a job with the weight of a mental disorder on your shoulders. You think people want to hire a nanny who is Bipolar? I don't think so. Does it affect how well I do my job? Absolutely not. In fact I think its a plus to some of the more creative and fun activities I have done with kids since I have an attention span as long as theirs. Here is the most important question though; Do I have to tell employers that I have a mental condition?
The answer is no.
The law places strict limits on employers when it comes to asking job applicants to answer medical questions, take a medical exam, or identify a disability. For example, an employer may not ask a job applicant to answer medical questions or take a medical exam before extending a job offer. An employer also may not ask job applicants if they have a disability (or about the nature of an obvious disability). An employer may ask job applicants whether they can perform the job and how they would perform the job, with or without a reasonable accommodation.
This is straight from the Americans with Disabilities Act. You can read the whole thing here.
http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm
Even after you are hired there is still an extremely strict guideline on what employers can ask you to do as it pertains to your job and your mental illness. You wouldn't have to tell an employer that you have ADD or ADHD or even PTSD. All extremely emotional mental disorders. So why would you have to tell an employer about any other mental disorder? That includes Bipolar disorder.
If your disorder is affecting your job go see your doctor. Your employer CAN NOT ask you what it is about, the only thing that you need is a piece of paper from the doctor saying you have been seen and that you are fit for the job. No employer can rightfully fire you after that. Do the research, see for yourself. There are tons of online resources to help you, because we are not a book researching age anymore, everyone is online.
Granted, after all that, the employer does not have to hire you if they don't think you are right for the job, sometimes people just don't do well enough to impress the interviewer. This article http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/coping-with-work-issues-and-bipolar-disorder/all/1/ goes into better detail then I can in one blog. Read it, learn from it. There is a lot of good information about maintaining good job interviews and jobs. Hopefully we can all learn how to better cope with the undeniable stress of being on the job search.
Denise R.
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