Achieving your Career Goals: Ann's Story

 Tell us a bit about your job and your career so far?

I am a solicitor, specialising in clinical negligence and personal injury, which means I work with lots of people who are disabled because of injuries they have suffered in accidents or because of things which have gone wrong in hospital or other medical settings. I have been a solicitor for 10 years.

What does a normal day look like for you?

Most days involve a big chunk of paperwork, along with quite a few phone calls with clients and other professionals involved in my cases. I generally have a couple of meetings most weeks and I also go to court a few times a year.

What is the best bit about your job?

I love getting to know my clients and helping them through a really difficult time. My job is to get compensation for them which can give financial security, pay for specialist treatment and improve their quality of life. Ultimately compensation will never undo the harm but it can help with the practicalities of life. The absolute best part of my job is the final stage of a case - winning a hard won case at court, mediation or just me negotiating with defendant’s solicitor. It’s a really moving moment when I can tell my client we’ve won and it’s all over.

Was there anything you looked out for when searching for roles, because of your epilepsy?

I considered becoming a doctor but I ruled it out because lack of sleep from shift work might have affected my epilepsy. I decided being a solicitor was a great way of helping people instead.

How did you find looking for a role that you wanted, that would also be right for you?

It’s really competitive so I couldn’t be too choosy! But I focused on companies which had a caring ethos.

Were there any considerations you made, or your employer made, regarding your epilepsy?

I couldn’t drive until a few years ago, therefore, we had to agree other ways of me travelling to meetings and court. The two companies I’ve worked at have always been fine about me travelling by train and taxis, so it’s never been a problem.

What have you told your colleagues about your epilepsy? What were their questions?

I’ve told colleagues I’ve got epilepsy when it’s naturally come up in conversation. It’s not something I dropped into conversation on day 1 of the job but I don’t think it would have been a problem if I had!

When I’ve told people I just simply say something like “I’ve got epilepsy”. Generally people ask questions like how long have I had it, do I have seizures and quite often people tell me they know someone else who has epilepsy. No one has ever asked me a question which upset me or made me feel uncomfortable. One person once said “you don’t look like you have epilepsy” which I thought was hilarious because it showed just how little they knew about it!

What advice would you give to a young person with epilepsy who is beginning their journey into employment?

Please don’t worry about epilepsy affecting your career! Employers have legal duties to support you and can’t discriminate against you. It’s a pretty common disability which lots of employers understand and will take it in their stride.

Many employers will even see the upside of you having epilepsy - you have overcome a hurdle, come out the other side and you can empathise with other people who have difficulties. In my job it’s an advantage - I can genuinely empathise with my clients who have disabilities, including some who also have epilepsy.

Have you ever had a seizure at work, and if so what was that experience like?

I haven’t had a seizure at work, thankfully my last one was at law school, but a colleague of mine has and she’s agreed to answer this question for you…

“I have had a seizure a couple of times at work, both times unexpected but the colleagues and the firm have been very supportive. I was looked after by a couple of first aiders who have also arranged a transport back home for me and I have been able to take as much time off as needed to recover and to work from home until I felt better and was ready to go back to work. As mentioned above, the employers are under legal duties to support you but it is also important to remember that epilepsy is not an unusual disability and many colleagues will have friends and family living with the similar conditions and challenges.”