I was successfully working as a developer at a Company X when I got cancer. Treatments and side effects resulted in a sick leave of around 9-10 months. The company welcomed me back and I continued working there, until I changed jobs and now work for a different company. My total time at company X was around 3 years.
There is an issue that keeps coming up in discussions with recruiters, interviews etc. My CV states I worked 3 years at Company X, but in reality I worked 3 years minus 9 months. I’m uncomfortable with this inaccuracy.
I realize the difference to, say 20 years. But this being the IT industry, 20 years at one company would be somewhat unusual. My total experience is closer to 10 years, so 9 months as part of a bigger picture is still small. I was employed at the company during the entire sick leave.
At least once in an informal discussion, a potential employer commented ”so you worked at X between such and such, that makes it N years, right?”. So far I managed to deflect such comments but this is borderline to lying.
But I also don’t want to say ”I had cancer for 9 months”. And putting an unspecified 9 month period on the CV is also problematic, as questions will be asked.
What is a good strategy for the future that minimizes the inaccuracy but avoids disclosure of my illness?