Career Services Help People With HIV Find Jobs Compatible With Their Health, Life Goals

Career placement agencies are helping people with HIV reenter the job market and find jobs that are compatible with their health needs and overall life goals, the San Francisco Examiner reports in a profile of area services. Many people with the virus leave their jobs after their initial diagnosis or when their health begins to deteriorate. Now, thanks to life-extending antiretroviral medications, many are able to return to the workforce and are seeking jobs that will not only provide them with an income and health benefits, but a sense of purpose as well. "When you have your mortality in front of your face and thought you had this (death sentence) and that has been reversed, it's not unusual for values to change. People with HIV might have more specific goals -- and as employees they may be the most motivated and focused people that you can hire," Mark Misrok, program coordinator of Positive Resource Center, an agency that has been assisting people with HIV in search of employment since 1992, explained. People with HIV are also concerned about how fatigue and side effects from their medications will affect their job performance and need to find employers who are understanding of their medical situation. Earlier this year, the California state Employment Development Department implemented Jobs for All, a San Francisco program designed specifically to address the job needs of HIV-positive individuals. Both programs help clients develop their interests, contact potential employers and assist with writing resumes and cover letters. Such services "know who you are, they know what it is like to be in denial and they understand the whole strange anxiety ... that you feel healthy but you are not sure what you are capable of," PRC client Chris Orwigg said (Pampalone, San Francisco Examiner, 11/5).