|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sweating the Interview: Excessive Sweaters Need Not Apply?
Jobs have become scarcer in this shaky economic climate. Seeking employment, a harrowing prospect in itself, has become even more competitive and demanding. The results of our recent employment survey of hyperhidrosis sufferers may confirm what many sufferers well know: Hyperhidrosis can overshadow the most stellar job qualifications, deterring potential employers from hiring otherwise capable candidates and deterring those with excessive sweating from seeking employment altogether.
“It comes as no surprise that our survey has confirmed the debilitating effect of hyperhidrosis on employment,” says David M. Pariser, MD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology and founding board member of IHHS. “In today’s tough economy, job seekers need every possible edge to make a good first impression on potential employers. Unfortunately, the excessive sweating disorder is often misinterpreted as a lack of confidence, negatively influencing chances of being selected as a job candidate.”
"The International Hyperhidrosis Society Survey on Excessive Underarm Sweating and its Impact on Adults in the Workplace" was conducted September 23 to October 4, 2009. A nationwide sample of 2,068 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older participated in the survey.
Results reveal the impact of the excessive sweating on job interviews and career choices. The findings are dramatic. The survey numbers clearly show the personal and professional toll experienced by individuals with hyperhidrosis. Because of concerns about excessive underarm sweat;
• 86% of those surveyed say they are fearful of going on job interviews,
• 27% avoid job interviews altogether,
• 88% say they avoid professions that are likely to reveal their ailment,
• 67% avoid speaking in public while in a professional setting, and
• More than half (56%) has had to avoid giving a presentation due to excessive underarm sweat.
The survey’s most shocking find is that nearly 1-in-4 adults (24%) don’t know that chronic excessive sweating is a treatable medical disorder. The social stigma and lack of understanding about this life-altering condition, even by those who live with it, is especially tragic when help and hope are so easily attainable.
Human resources consultant and transformational life coach Suzanne Eder is a strong proponent of job seekers utilizing all means of assistance to become advocates for their personal success and happiness. “The most essential element required to develop a deeply satisfying career is maintaining a state of inner peace and confidence. Without that strong foundation, self-doubt can erode the creative potential of even the most qualified person for a given opportunity. I would strongly encourage anyone dealing with the challenges of hyperhidrosis to reach out for the support and treatment they need and deserve.”
The IHHS stands at the ready to help the millions with excessive sweating who are compelled to limit ambitions and opportunities because of their hyperhidrosis.
Our website, www.SweatHelp.org, provides education, support, and medical resources to an estimated 176 million affected children, teens, and adults worldwide. Members of our community have access to our Physician Finder database, which helps individuals locate doctors around the globe who are both familiar with hyperhidrosis and, in many cases, trained by the IHHS in treatment methods.
The importance of these quality-of-life surveys is not only that they give further dimension to the life of a hyperhidrosis sufferer, but that they convey the severe limitations imposed by the effects this condition. The results help us to convey to healthcare providers, researchers, product developers and sufferers alike, the impact of the condition and the great need for both giving and receiving treatment.
Thank you to all in our hyperhidrosis community who participated in this survey. Your collective participation gives voice to the disease and our advocacy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Find a doctor who treats excessive sweating. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
