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Our panel of experts answers career questions from readers. Other readers can contribute their views. I have recently secured a summer internship at an investment bank. Since the age of 16, I have suffered from a rare sleeping disorder, called narcolepsy, which causes me to fall asleep in the afternoons. Narcolepsy sufferers experience excessive daytime sleepiness and abnormal REM sleep. They may also suffer 'micro-sleeps' without being conscious of it. I am worried that my "sudden sleep attack" will give my bosses the impression that I am not interested in the job which is the opposite of the truth. How do I present this problem to an employer?

The key to dealing with this situation is to be open with your employer and to offer a solution at the same time as you explain the problem.

From a legal point of view, it sounds like your condition could be covered under the Disability Discrimination Act, which is good news for you. It means that a potential employer cannot discriminate against you on grounds of your narcolepsy and would be required by law to make 'reasonable adjustments' to allow you to work.

The first step is telling them. Just bite the bullet and do it as soon as possible. Remember, they obviously rate you, because internships are hard to come by and you will have beaten many other candidates to get this opportunity. Prepare a couple of sheets of information on narcolepsy and on how it affects you in particular. Outline how you have dealt with it in your life so far. Presumably, you have developed strategies for coping and have an idea of how you can work this internship. Tell them.

It is important that you are honest. If you are prone to unpredictable 'micro-sleeps', for example, then working on a trading desk, where you can lose millions in a matter of seconds, is probably unrealistic. An employer can legitimately refuse to employ you if there is no 'reasonable adjustment' possible that would allow you to do the job. However, in most jobs, seconds do not count. Reasonable adjustments could include the provision of some technology (a personal alarm that detects when you have fallen asleep, for example) or a 'buddy' system, whereby a colleague 'keeps an eye on you' at key times. Be creative.

If you are honest with yourself, open with your employer and can offer viable solutions, you should be able to overcome your condition, especially as you develop an employment track record.

To find out more about the Disability Discrimination Act go to .

Two readers contribute their views:

Reader 1: Explain the basics to your bosses in an informal setting, give them the information, don't package narcolepsy as a major problem. Explain that it's a neurological condition, treatable and manageable. Tell them (briefly) the steps you take to cope, and what they can do to help. Narcolepsy should be treated by employers in exactly the same way as epilepsy, diabetes or any other medical condition which might occur during working hours.

You'll be working as part of a team. Every member of a team has strengths and weaknesses, so you can and should expect tolerance for a problem which is none of your making. Make your 'waking hours' count. Be earlier, get more done, be keener. Make sure that your bosses know how committed you are. Enthusiasm for the job and a direct, open approach should see you through. Good luck.

Reader 2: Managers don't like surprises, you've got to tell your boss up front. He will probably respect the fact that you're not letting the disablity get you down. There is of course the chance that he sidelines you for being awkward, but this is the way to bet. Getting an Internship is pretty competitive, so the narcolepsy hasn't stopped you achieving more than most people.

You say that afternoons are a bigger problem than mornings ?

Perhaps there is a way to make virtue out of necessity. Most trading desks have some work that is best done very early in the morning. Volunteer to do this, since you'll be taking on a load that others try to avoid. This can look very good in the eyes of your future employer. Most interns don't get offered jobs, so you've got to stand out.

Do not tell HR. Just don't. 20 years in this game has left me with deep cynicism about HR, and you don't want them getting hold of anything that could come back to haunt you. But again, you must answer honestly any question.

Next week's question: I was recently made redundant by a bulge bracket investment bank where I worked as a vice president on deals of more than $1bn. I have already received a job offer with a better financial package from a much smaller institution. Will I find it difficult to get hired back into the bulge bracket, if I accept this offer now? What is more important, minimising the time out of work or ensuring that the last employment on my CV is as high profile as possible?

What would you advise? Send your answer to: expertadmin@efinancialcareers.com.

Look out for the Experts' answer to this dilemma and readers' comments on Ask the Expert next week!

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Our experts include: Roger Steare, a career coach at Roger Steare Consulting, Makbool Javaid, an employment partner at the law firm DLA, and Tony Tucker, a recruitment consultant at ERG, talking to careers journalist Hashi Syedain.

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