[Job-Discussions] Making that Career Choice

Wed Sep 28 16:21:39 UTC 2022

This is a great discussion. I think it is important to think about both "jobs:" and "careers". While I do not feel it is a good idea to try to push people into expected careers, I do think it is very 
Important for blind people to gain work experience. This may mean working at something that is not your passion and may not be your ultimate career, but will give you valuable work experience which can be shown on a resume. Sighted people gain work experience like this through early entry-level jobs. For example, my sighted sons have worked in a fast food restaurant and at a grocery store. Some blind people gain this type of entry-level experience early, and that is great. This type of experience cannot be underestimated. Employers may be impressed by education and awards, but will be nervous to take a chance on someone who has never had the experience of coming to work regularly, socializing and collaborating with coworkers, taking initiative and gaining more responsibility. I say all this to make a final point. I think people need to be open to opportunities that may provide work experiences even if they do not fit an ultimate career goal. Holding out for the perfect fit may not result in reaching a goal if you have not worked or have not worked for a long time. This does not mean I advocate that people abandon their career goals. I just think they should look at what an experience may bring, paid or volunteer, and remember that there are many steps on the career path. 
Best, 

Jennifer Wenzel 
HR Generalist, Beyond Vision
NCUEB Certified 
P: (414) 778-5800    F:262 439-5865

jwenzel at beyondvision.com

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-----Original Message-----
From: Job-Discussions <job-discussions-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kris Colcock via Job-Discussions
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 11:08 AM
To: Job Discussions internet Mailing List <job-discussions at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Kris Colcock <achievingaccess at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Job-Discussions] Making that Career Choice

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Love the discussion. I'd like to chime in with two points. First, follow your passion and the money will come idea. As so many have said, when your passion becomes work it can become unpleasant. The other hand is that your passion may be something that cannot actually support you, which was my issue for many years. No matter how many classes I attended, business coaching groups, etc. I couldn't get my passion to support me. I tried for so many years that I lost the spark and now can barely stand to look at it even as a hobby. So stepping back and really researching your "passion" as a career is important.

Secondly, my attention was drawn to his comments regarding allowing ourselves to be guided into a job or career by what others think are a good fit. When blind individuals get into the Voc. Rehab. system, it is common for a counselor to guide the participant to an expected job such as phone work, customer service, social work, etc. There is nothing wrong with these jobs / careers and many blind individuals do well within these careers. However, there are other individuals who do not do well in these careers. Personally I think it is a bit of a tightrope walk to encourage creative career exploration with realistic expectations.

If someone is in the Voc Rehab system do you think it is more important to get them out and working at something or to help them explore a career option that might push expectations?

On 9/28/22, Justin Williams via Job-Discussions <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Just ask youself how you would like to serve and help others.
>
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> What would you want people ot say about you?
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> That is a start.
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> Justin
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> From: Job-Discussions [mailto:job-discussions-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Ericka via Job-Discussions
> Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2022 4:46 PM
> To: Job Discussions internet Mailing List <job-discussions at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Ericka <dotwriter1 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Job-Discussions] Making that Career Choice
>
>
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> Steve Jobs has good advice. I’d say take jobs as steppingstones to 
> learn more of who you are and what you can do. Very good question and 
> very good quote. Advice I wish I had heard 30 some years ago
>
> Ericka Nelson
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> On Sep 27, 2022, at 11:52 AM, Kris Colcock via Job-Discussions 
> <job-discussions at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> How do you choose a career path? As blind individuals, many times a 
> career path is suggested and sometimes chosen based on what people 
> believe you can do instead of your own abilities. Steve Jobs says that 
> we can get “trapped by dogma which is living with the results of other 
> people’s thinking.” He warns that if we aren’t careful, we can “let 
> the noise of others’ opinions drown out [our] own inner voice.”
> Here is his advice about careers:
> “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only 
> way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And 
> the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t 
> found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the 
> heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, 
> it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So, keep looking 
> until you find it. Don’t settle.”
> The easiest path in this life seems to be the one that we take by 
> default, the one that at times feels pre-chosen for us, either by 
> society or someone else in our lives. It seems to be a path of 
> mediocrity that somebody else somehow led us to believe should work 
> for us too.
> I had to realize this for myself, and if you haven’t realized it yet… 
> there is no better day than today.
> Take control over what you do have control over. Make the most of 
> every opportunity.
> And most importantly, follow your gut, your heart, and your intuition 
> in your decision-making. Just like mine brought me to 
> entrepreneurship, yours will lead you to where you need to be too."
>
> What does this passage mean to you? Do you wait for that perfect job 
> or do you take work that can be used as stepping stones?
>
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