If you have a bleeding disorder, you may be surprised at how many careers are open to you. In fact, most young people with a bleeding disorder in the UK are lucky to be able to pursue whatever career they want.
However, before you set your heart on your ideal job, you might want to double-check that it isn't one of the few jobs closed off to you. For example, you may not be able to join the army or police, or become a pilot.
It's a good idea to research the area of work you want to join or contact the Haemophilia Society to find out if there are any restrictions that apply to you. By finding out at an early stage, you will avoid any disappointment.
Part-time jobs
Many of you will want to start working in a Saturday job before you leave school. You will probably wonder about how your bleeding disorder will affect this. It may be a good idea to explain it to someone at work in case you have a bleed or need some help. Explaining will also help to overcome some of the misunderstandings around about haemophilia.
Here at the Society we do sometimes hear that people are having trouble at work because of their haemophilia. If this happens to you, let us know and we may be able to help. The main reason is that people don't understand that haemophilia is a manageable condition, and that if you get a small cut at work you should be fine with normal First Aid precautions.
We can give you some fact sheets to show to employers. It's understandable that you might not want to tell people about your bleeding disorder in case they treat you differently, but it's important to know that if you don't mention it when asked (e.g. on an application form), you could lose some important legal protections later on.
There are now lots of laws to protect you and help you to work despite your condition.
Work experience
Would you like to get some work experience in PR, media, events, office work, or in a charity? We run a regular internship scheme and also have other volunteering opportunities. Why not contact us today? Just send an email through this page and we'll get back to you.
For more information on finding work experience, have a look on www.work-experience.org or speak to your Careers Advisor at school.
