Training and Learning ·
Getting a HIV diagnosis may change your priorities in life.
If you are already in a job, you may want to stay in your current position, or HIV might give you the push to start something new if you’re not happy there. It could be some time out, maybe going back to college or even setting up your own business.
HIV-related illness can also mean spells of unemployment. If you are looking for work again, you might want to pick up where you left off. However, particularly if it’s a long time since you were last employed, starting where you left off might not be an option.
For some gay men with HIV, it’s not a question of ‘returning’ to work, but of entering the workplace for the first time.
Whatever situation you’re in, there’s a good chance you’ll need some training to help you prepare, both practically and mentally, for work.
To gain employment in your area of interest, it might be necessary to gain specific skills or a qualification. Colleges and universities around the country have part-time study opportunities for adults, ranging from open access courses with no entry requirements to higher degrees.
Local job centres and HIV support organisations can help you develop or enhance your job application, interview skills and making the decision on whether to reveal your status when you apply.
Whatever situation you’re in, there’s a good chance you’ll need some training to help you prepare, both practically and mentally, for work.
Volunteering can provide an opportunity to gain new skills and at the same time gain a familiarity with working conditions. The routine of volunteering can also help simulate the routine of working, and if you are volunteering in an area similar to the one in which you’d like to work, it can provide an opportunity to discover if this really is something you’d like to do. Many people find that volunteering helps boost their self-confidence and acts as a useful bridge back to work.
