hi all, just wondering if you could advise me on the following please? what job /career is best for a person who has ms? all ideas appreciated, ty Anna x
Hi Anna, I donât think there can possibly be a one-size-fits-all answer to this one, because not only is MS so different, but people are so different. Itâs like asking: âWhatâs the best job for a woman?â (no rude answers please 
), or: âWhatâs the best job for a man?â, or âWhatâs the best job for someone who is such-and-such an age?â Itâs just too general to be able to give a sensible answer. Ideally, the best job is something you like (or at least donât hate), that you are reasonably competent at - or capable of becoming so - and where there is an understanding employer, who knows their legal obligations. Assuming the applicant would be you, I think you need to consider whatâs a suitable job for you - i.e. taking account of interests, strengths, and weaknesses. Because youâre not just âsomebody with MSâ - youâre you! So I think the first criterion must be what line of work is suitable for you - not whatâs suitable for MS. Jobs donât come along with labels on them, saying âMS-friendlyâ (or not). So you need to think about what sort of thing interests you, whether or not you have the right skills for it (if not, can you get them?), and only then how it can be reconciled with any limitations imposed by your illness. Actually, the considerations are not mutually exclusive. If youâre interested in, and even good at your work, your employer is much more likely to be accommodating if a problem arises (health or otherwise). Whereas if you pick a job youâre not interested in, purely because you reckon it will be a âgood fitâ with MS, I donât see that really working out very well. 
T. x
Hi Anna, I think the reply you got from a real mser was misguided. There are a lot of MSersd who work and wouldnt want not to. its a different kettle of fish if your type of MS is so bad that you simply can`t work, through fatigue, poor mobility etc. But to tell someone that unemployment is the best job, then I have to disagree. Hopefully you will get someuseful replies. luv Pollx,
Iâm with Poll on this. I would hate to have to stop working until I really could not do it any more. The best kind of job for an MSâer is - whatever they jolly well want to do. Work can be adapted to fit around disabilities - mine has been! I would say you might not be eligible to join the army or be a gymnast - but what do I know - Iâm not you :lol: I am working part time in a care setting; I lone work and spend at least 70% of the shift on my behind at the computer - suits me! 
Clarexxx
i used to care for people with ms. now im the cared for. if anyone knows of a job going as a bed tester please let me know.i would gladly work overtime :). x
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Hi Anna In my opinion the best job for a person with MS is a voluntary job. That way you donât get the push when an employer decides that they want rid of you and when you are having a bad time, you have other people (often a lot more caring than an employer) who will fill in for you until you are well again, also less stress and you can usually work the hours that suit and rest when pain/fatigue sets in. Good luck Love Wendy x
I definately agree that working is a positive for someone with MS. Ok, I know Iâve only been diagnosed for a few months and am perfectly mobile but I know that without work I would just sink into a pit of self pitying gloom. I was a prison officer for ten years and loved my job but when the MS kicked in I was moved to an admin role within the jail. Not ideal but I still have contact with my friends and rarely think of the disease when Iâm occupied. On two weeks leave at the moment and already starting to feel sorry for myself. Work is a welcome distraction and stops you becoming isolated and consumed by MS. There is so much more to life. Aileen
Hey, Surely any job that you can physically and mentally cope with is a good job? Without my job⌠I work a minimum of 45 hours a week, often a lot more⌠I would curl up in the corner and cry itâs my only outlet , creatively and mentally, and stops me dwelling! I am lucky as I am home based, using the office a couple of times a week. The downside is the amount I have to drive, but work is great and understandingâŚish!!! Sure there is the perfect job there for you somewhere, what did you used to do? Jo xx
sunspirits wrote:
hi all, just wondering if you could advise me on the following please? what job /career is best for a person who has ms? all ideas appreciated, ty Anna x
Hi Anna, Agree with what the majority of people have already stated that best job is what you are qualified and physically able for. Think the main choice here is if you want a job or a career. The balance between work and rest is a hard one to get sometimes though, and as MS varies how it affects us MSers individually so do huge differences exist in the wide range of jobs./careers are out there. Not all jobs have the option of being less physical or home working and therefore a compromise often has to be reached instead regarding work life balance. I have choose to reduce my hours slightly to accommodate this. As due to fatigue and pain i was having i was putting all my energy into maintaining my ânormalâ pre MS work life which left me knackered, fed up and terribly self critical meaning non working days were spent recovering rather than having some kind of life outside work. Definitely think that as long as you are able to, work is a good outlet and keeps you busy with your mind having less time to dwell on being unwell. It is up to you to decide based on your own personal & financial circumstances what sort of job and level of input you want to have. In my honest opinion i also think what Corkie (Wendy) has said about volunteer work is a great idea and would suit many people who have MS. The worst thing about working with MS is dealing with fluctuation in symptoms. I think that many people are worried about how much they will be able to offer an employer if their health prevents them from working to the best of their ability. I think that there are many people with MS who could provide a vital role in the voluntary sector in some capacity. Although teething issues getting used to the new site may indicate otherwise, we are all computer literate to varying degrees. And am sure could be of great use to voluntary groups/ charitable organisations in different ways. Think i have been spurred onto my soap box a bit recently so dont want to appear too controversial but recall from the old site a discussion about the thoughts of a MP re. disabled people working for less than the minimum wage. Friends were shocked when i said i agreed but before you all send the lynch mob for me this is how i see it. I know many people are affected by MS in different degrees of severity and for some this means they are unable to continue work in their job where perhaps very physical menial tasks were part of that job or because they were unable to drive anymore. I understand this totally, my father was a builder by trade and therefore unable to continue in that job as his disease progressed but for many yrs did other little jobs instead. My own occupation can at times be physically exhausting but is more mentally challenging with no room for error. I think that the ESA/welfare reform is particularly harsh on people with chronic illness with many being put through the stress of assessments who are unable to do any kind of work. But i also think that many are fearful of committing to employment due to the fluctuating symptoms of their illness, treatment regimes etc and also the effect on benefit entitlement. The economy is fairly squeezed at the minute but i think emphasis should be put on ability rather than disability. Where this ties in to the minimum wage/fair payments for the disabled is i feel that they are many jobs disabled people could preform and having an input may be good for overall well being. I personally feel that if people were allowed to remain on benefits and work also for a small sum it would be very helpful. This would mean that while you were working for less than the minimum wage you were in fact still getting more than what ESA etc now provides financially. It would give people a chance to work to their ability similar to volunteer work in an area you were familar with. ie ex-teachers helping with reading groups for kids and literacy classes for adults, ex-cooks being involved with community groups improving basic cooking skills and promoting nutrition etc etc Right now i have reduced my hours and try to ensure that if i am having a flare up i minimise physical activity if possible. I want to provide for myself financially while i can and as my rainy day is perhaps looming faster than some of my colleagues make provision for if when this changes. But some days when i have extended myself to the max i begin to wonder why bother, might be better of taking it easy and treat myself to a nice lifestyle now because if i am frugal and my work circumstances change i will not be entitled to government assistance re. housing etc as few other people have mentioned in various threads recently Ok rant over and sorry for hijacking your post Anna but kinda felt it tied in well to what others had said. Roisin xo
Although I am recently retired, I agree with most of the replies. I worked for 10 years after diagnosis until I couldnât physically or mentally cope anymore. If you are able, work as long as you can. It is much easier to exist financially on a wage than a pension or benefits. If you are financially secure, then do a bit of voluntary work. Good Luck V
I worked as a draughtsman for about fiften years before being diagnosed, before that I worked as a chef for about ten years.
since being diagnosed in 2009, I have been unemployed for most of the time apart from about 2 years that I spent working as a carer, looking after elderly people in their homes. I have been to college for the last two years and have an HNC qualification in electrical engineering, thats on top of a city and guilds in electronic systems servicing and testing.
I have been continually looking for work since 2009, without success. I have however begun to get some interviews lately. And though I do well in the interviews, I get the impression that they are unwilling to employ me, because I have MS.
I have sought help from the people at the Job centre. They offered to help me write a CV and a covering letter, but that is all the help that they can give. Which is help I feel that I donât really need anyway.
are there any organisations that can offer practical help, for unemployed people with MS.
Or should I just face the fact that unemployment is a fact of life for me.