Patk

Hello Everyone,

Last week I spoke with my informal sponsor about whether of not he would have a problem hiring someone who has had a problem of alcohol abuse. I am a teacher, and my friend, a Catholic priest, used to teach at a local high school for 18 years. I asked Father T if he was the principal of a school and he received an application from someone whom he had heard through the grapevine had been fired from his last teaching job for drinking, would he hire the guy? Father T said as long as the applicant was sober and in AA he would have no problem having him teach at his school. I applauded Father T's willingness to give a guy a second chance, but from my experience as a teacher, I have not been given such benefit of the doubt when applying for jobs (interviewers who are not comfortable with the many job gaps in my resume, in and out of different unviersity programs, fired from previous jobs). Not exactly the "model teacher with a lot of stabiltiy," the school or interviewer might be looking for, which I can appreciate. From my experience with a mental illness (depression), I don't find potential employers to share such an open-minded, compassionate attitude as Father T. I have found that my rocky past of drinking still haunts me in terms of applying for jobs...


Pat

Mark75

I had kids who went to catholic school and kids who went to public school... Public school administrators have so many more people and agencies to answer to... Catholic school, well... A lot more leeway

Justfor1

This hurts to say this but if I was a employer I hire a "normal" person over a recovering alcoholic every time. There is just too much too chance. It could also be dangerous in certain jobs to work intoxicated.

LaFemme

I guess the gaps in your employment history are why they might know there was a problem? Because IMO it's no one else's business and I would not disclose the info. I would hope rumours of abuse would not influence employers but I know that's not the case.

I do know that's not the way the world works sometimes...and I am fortunate that my work history was never effected by my problem. Are the gaps bad enough that you get questioned on them? Is there no other way to answer without lying?

DayTrader

I haven't had any problem and, to be frank, if an employer didn't want me to work for them because of my past drinking and doesnt understand what recovery is and/or see my value, I don't want to work for them anyway.

My last interview (3 yrs ago when I changed brokerage firms)

Them / Me....bla bla bla.. here's my business.....here's our business......etc etc etc
Them - so what do you see as your biggest challenge in working here
Me - well, actually, it'll be GETTING here......getting to work
Them - I'm sorry.......what????
Me - I'm a recovered alcoholic. I had a drinking problem but couldn't see it. I got arrested for 3 DUI's over 6 years and lost my license for 5 years. I went to AA, got involved in recovery, and I'm recovered now. I haven't had a drink in a year and a half (at that time) and drinking is not a problem anymore. Driving....that's a problem. I'll have to find out what cabs, friends, etc will be able to do for me.
Them - oh...um.......wow. So you're an alcoholic but you don't drink?
........etc etc etc...

I got hired.

Did I get hired BECAUSE I told them what I told them? partly...... After I'd been there a while I asked. The two guys who interviewed me said they appreciated my courage and figured it took someone tough to deal with alcoholism and that's the kind of employees they want.

There's a line in the Big Book "...a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty." (my underlines). ALL my life....almost every chance I got.....I lied. About everything. Sometimes for no reason other than just "because I can." <--That technique for living wasn't working. So far, being honest hasn't screwed me over or out of anything.

Patk

Hello Everyone,

Thank you very much for your replies, thoughts, and support. Just to be a little more clear, I live in Japan and my friend, the Catholic priest, taught English as a Foreign Language at a local public high school; almost like a volunteer thing...Justfor1, no offence taken. Most people out there woudl probably agree with you. All things being equal, if an employer has two applicants; one with a substance abuse or mental illness issue, and the other does not, them it makes it a lot easier to go with the latter than the former.

Lafemme, well the problem with my work history came up for a job I interviewed for about 6 years ago. The interviewer asked me in a blunt and direct way why I had so many one-year jobs teaching in different countries...I immediately felt defensive and tried to explain I was looking for new experiences etc. Truth was I just did a lot of, as I have heard in AA, "geographics," always burning bridges, dissatisfied with employers...IN another interview about the same time the guy asked me why it took me 10 years to get my Bachelor of Commerce, and again my explantion that I had no financial help from my parents and dropped in and out university several times did not convince him otherwise that I was irresponsible
Pat

Phmdyw

I wouldn't hire an alcoholic unless they'd been through the 12 steps in a very thorough way and were at least done with the reading of a 5th step. I was still stealing at the beginning of my 4th step and was not responsible or trustworthy.