[nabs-l] Could the NABS host a "get a job" webinare series?
Ashley Bramlett
bookwormahb at earthlink.net
Tue Apr 21 15:38:35 UTC 2009
Sara,
No, untentional disclosure isn't a problem. On my resume, I also hint at it
too. I said I volunteered for the talking book library.
Even if they figure out your blind, you mention it in a
positive light saying what you can do.
I think explicit disclosure is a problem though.
Ashley
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sarah Jevnikar" <sarah.jevnikar at utoronto.ca>
To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 10:41 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Could the NABS host a "get a job" webinare series?
> hi all,
> I've been reading this discussion with interest. I have a question about
> disclosure though: my resume hints at my being blind, but it's almost
> unintentionally. I've worked for the Canadian National Institute for the
> Blind, and have some scholarships from organizations/groups with the words
> "blind" or "disability" in the name of the company or scholarship. This
> means that a potential employer may notice I have a disability before I
> show
> up at the interview. I know that explicit disclosure on a resume/cover
> letter is discourage, but is this unintentional disclosure an issue too?
> Thank you,
> Sarah
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> Of Joe Orozco
> Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 8:14 PM
> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Could the NABS host a "get a job" webinare series?
>
> Jim,
>
> I have some thoughts on how, and perhaps more importantly why, NABS should
> incorporate job readiness into its operation. That's part of a longer
> dialogue I'll get around to later after the semester is over. For now
> I'll
> offer some thoughts that may help you in your current situation.
>
> Let me preface my comments by pointing out that job searching is never
> easy,
> blind or sighted. People, including myself, will give you a list of do's
> and don'ts, but ultimately it comes down to you, your innovative ideas,
> your
> strengths and your own familiarity with the field you've chosen for
> yourself. No two resumes are the same, and no two employers will share
> the
> same views about what disability means for their expectations of the
> vacancy
> in question.
>
> It is my personal opinion that too much attention is given to the ADA, the
> EEOC and all things special accommodations. Some people I've met become
> so
> infatuated with the legalities of finding a job and have become so
> obsessed
> with the subject of potential discrimination and pay less attention to
> meeting the realistic expectations of the job itself. I think it's
> important to know your rights, but it's quite a different matter when you
> allow yourself to become a textbook operator. I think people run the risk
> of becoming paranoid of discrimination when sometimes there is education
> to
> be had on both sides of the equation, both from the side of the potential
> employer and from the perspective of the applicant.
>
>>From a pragmatic perspective, if the employer is going to belittle you for
> having a disability, no law will change that person's view of your
> abilities. If you feel you have been discriminated against, you could
> pursue legal action, but legal action takes time and in the meantime
> you're
> still without a job. My personal take on the subject is that you had
> better
> be prepared to take your complaint all the way if you're going to complain
> at all. Laws have been written to protect individuals from unfair hiring
> standards, but know that this protection comes at a price as much to you
> as
> the applicant as well as the offending company. While the legal
> proceedings
> are moving forward, you must learn from the experience and understand how
> to
> engage a better marketing strategy to emphasize your skills over your
> disability.
>
> So, my advice is to familiarize yourself with the myths of the ADA.
> Sometimes it is a far better tactic to understand what a law does not do
> rather than what it could do. Understand the relationship between
> yourself
> and the potential employer. When you're applying for a job, you're asking
> to be allowed to be a member of their team. Unnecessary emphasis on laws
> and regulations does not make you a team player. It makes you a potential
> liability. Keep pushing for the type of training you are advocating, but
> never mind the legalities of equal rights and special accommodations.
> There's nothing in that area that Google can't help you decipher in a
> well-spent half hour. What is harder to teach is resume building,
> interviewing skills and the social etiquette that goes along with the
> basic
> human interaction involved in these interviews.
>
> My opinion on self-disclosure has never changed on any of the jobs I have
> previously held and am currently pursuing. If it's a blindness-related
> job,
> it only makes sense to point out the fact that you are blind and could be
> a
> direct benefit to the organization's mission. Otherwise, there is no
> reason to bring it up in your cover letter or resume. Some people balk at
> this idea. The thought process is that stating the fact that you are
> blind
> only helps to emphasize how much you have been able to accomplish despite
> your being blind.
>
> My response to that logic is that there is arrogance, and then there is
> confidence. An arrogant man needs to write it down to prove a point. A
> confident man allows those around him to arrive at this conclusion all by
> themselves. If what our NFB philosophy says is true, that blindness is
> only
> a characteristic, I am not going to be a hypocrite and make blindness a
> noteworthy point of interest in my credentials. The hiring manager need
> not
> know I am blind, no more than it is their business that I am a male or
> Hispanic or six feet tall. Does this make things awkward when you first
> meet the interviewer? Things are going to be awkward with or without
> advance notice. The outcome of that interview comes down to how big of a
> deal you make of your blindness. Writing in your cover letter or resume
> that you are blind only throws the ball in their court and lets them
> decide
> how big of a deal it is to them. When you hunt for a job, you cannot
> afford
> to be idealistic and give people the benefit of the doubt that they will
> overlook their own personal misconceptions and biases. Keep control of
> the
> deck of cards as long as you can.
>
> Now, to your specific situation. You do not have to respond to these
> points, but how many volunteer positions have you taken on in your field
> of
> interest? What, outside of academic studies, can you put on your resume
> that makes you stand out from the other candidates? Are there internships
> offered by way of the agency you have applied to? What did you learn from
> your interview last Thursday, and more importantly, what can you change
> about it as you move forward into your next potential interview?
>
> When I wrote the career section of the NABS web site I made sure the
> notion
> of volunteer service was emphasized. Many people get so overwhelmed by
> their failure to find a job and completely overlook the benefits of
> national
> service as a means to jump start their career. Yes, it may postpone that
> first "real" job, but it is an opportunity for you to build up your
> network,
> your skills and familiarity with the field in question. You may very well
> figure out that the job you you wanted was not at all what you expected.
>
> But, gauging from your writing, it would appear you are very much stubborn
> about going into public land management. If this is true, this is me
> smacking you on the shoulder and telling you to go get it. Do not be
> discouraged. What I would ask you to do is fix your attitude about your
> visual abilities. I'm reading your post about those things you can do
> with
> the vision you have and those things you cannot do as much anymore. Which
> is it? Either you can do something or you cannot. At some point you're
> going to have to get off the fence and develop your applicant profile
> according to those things you are completely confident about. If you're
> waiting until the end of the interview to drop the shoe about something
> you
> cannot do, you're making that the last impression, and if you sound half
> as
> cautious in your post as you did in the interview, would you hire
> yourself?
> So you can't drive. Put that up front and spend the rest of the hour or
> so
> developing arguments for why the interviewer would be stupid not to hire
> you
> despite this fact.
>
> In my public administration degree back in undergrad there was a land use
> course I was obligated to take from our geography department. I hated it,
> because we had to go out and survey neighborhoods. I honestly had no idea
> there was so much importance given to the width and crown of a typical
> street and the distance between the street and somebody's porch. I can
> see
> how you're frustrated because I had to catch rides from my teammates to
> get
> from neighborhood to neighborhood, but once we got there I did what I
> could
> to support the other guys in terms of note taking to write our final
> report.
>
> Keep a portfolio. Show off samples of any reports and graphs you may have
> had a hand at producing. Draw their attention away from the logistics and
> put it squarely on what you can do once you're at the site itself. You're
> a
> bad ass if they figure out how to get you there. You convince me from the
> way you express yourself about it. Now go out and convince them.
>
> I'm sorry I cannot offer you field-specific advice on how to go about
> doing
> what you want to do. I did not have to get far in my class that long ago
> spring semester to understand there was no way in hell I would be a land
> manager, but consider finding yourself a mentor in the field. Are there
> any
> associations you could join?
>
> Best of luck to you, and I hope my post was of at least minor benefit to
> you, and I love those 6 p's. If they weren't so bold I'd ask Terri to let
> me include that on our web site.
>
> Joe Orozco
>
> "A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the
> crowd."--Max Lucado
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org
> [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jim Reed
> Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 2:46 PM
> To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] Could the NABS host a "get a job" webinare series?
>
> Hello,
> I don't know about the rest of you, but I am in school to get a
> job. If others feel the same way, then I think it would be
> helpful for the NABS to use some of its resources putting
> together a series of Webinairs designed to teach us the most
> effective ways of getting and holding jobs as blind people. I
> don't know about you guys, but I really don't know anything
> about how the EOE, ADA, or other disability laws apply to me,
> or how I can use them to my advantage.
>
> I would suggest the NABS hire academics, proffessionals, and
> advocates to host webinars geared toward disabuility
> employment issues. Some initial topic suggestions could be:
> 1. Reasonable accomidations
> 2. Disability law
> 3. disclosure stratagies
> 4. Public vs. private sector employment issues/stratagies 5.
> Other employment resources
>
> These are just a few ideas I came up with off the top of my
> head. I think such a project would be a perfect fit for the
> NABS, as it furthers the education of its student members, and
> it promotes vocational oppertunities for students to use their
> education.
>
> Jim
>
> "Ignorance killed the cat; curiosity was framed."
>
>
>
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