For many people in addiction recovery, obtaining and maintaining active employment is a long-term goal. Addiction can certainly cause individuals to become unproductive at work, and can even lead to too many missed days and, consequently, termination. If you’ve been working hard in your treatment program and perhaps you’ll be returning home soon, you may be questioning whether you’re “job-ready”. This is a completely normal feeling – after all, you may already be feeling some pressure to maintain your current lifestyle of recovery once you return home, and you just don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.
First and foremost, your healthcare team should be able to provide you with some vocational assistance as well as talk you through this transition to ensure you feel confident moving forward. There are many skills that you want to practice working on before seeking employment, such as:
- Where to find jobs
- Interviewing skills
- Appropriate dress for work
- Communication, behaviors, and managing professional relationships
- Punctuality, responsiveness to supervision, etc.
- How to market your skills
If this list seems overwhelming – don’t allow it to be! These are all skills that take time and thankfully, the right treatment center will be able to guide you in strengthening them. A 2017 study published in the journal Addiction and Drug Desensitization sought to explore perceptions of job-readiness from 30 participants in focus groups. The following perceptions emerged:
- The desire to have proper interviewing skills
- Fear of rejection
- Criminal background
- Having gaps in work histories
All of these concerns can be addressed however, with simple direction and targeted focus on one’s confidence, competencies, and skills that would be very successful in the work environment. Ultimately, it’s important that you speak with your healthcare team to decide what the next best step may be for you – your recovery is important, and even if you’re leaving your treatment program, you still have many people whom you can lean on for support. Who knows – having that support and reassurance may show you that you are ready for employment. The next step is up to you!
Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).