[nabs-l] Update on meeting with a job placement specialist

Sat May 9 02:17:56 UTC 2009

Rania,
If you truly feel you'd be successful in this
field of choice, massage, then go for it.  Take the rest of the classes 
where you got accepted.

You should think about this though.  How much is the salary for these 
professionals?
Do you have to travel to see clients and if so, can you pay a driver?  Will 
you have enough clients to make a living on this?  These are questions to 
ponder.  What I mean is research the profession and maybe job shadow some 
professionals or at least interview them.  Find out what  a typical day is 
like.

I say this so you don't go to school only to find out this field isn't for 
you.  After thinking and researching the field, if you still believe this is 
right for you, then continue.  Say to your counselor "I've researched the 
field and I'd make approximately blank as an entry level salary. 
Professionals tell me they like their job because, fill in the blank with 
reasons."
Tell your counselor what skills and personality you have to make a good fit 
for the job.  Then say because of the above reasons I feel I'd  be a good 
fit for this job.

Your counselor may be steering you to a job
because he/she may feel you would not succeed in this field.  You failed a 
class twice you say and perhaps they think its a waste to finish massage 
school.
Also some counselors have low expectations and this may be the case too.  I 
don't know since i don't know the situation.  Either 1( the counselor is 
steering you toward a job because they don't see you being successful in 
this work.  Some people are just not good matches for a certain profession 
or 2(
they have low expectations and steer all blind clients to certain jobs.  I 
think you should find out the justification for your counselor wishing you 
to work.  Where do they want you to work?  See their reasons and plans.  Do 
research on the field and really think about why you want to do this.  If 
you still wish to do this then stick to it and explain your reasoning to VR.
Listen to their side, but ultimately its your decission.
You have a right to determine your employment path.  You can say no to their 
plan.  In my state and it may be true in yours you have a document, the IPE, 
individual plan for employment.  The ipe will lay out steps to get a job. 
If you run into resistance the nfb can help.

I think it would be good to have blind mentors in your field too.  What 
profession is it?  What parts of the body would you work on and are these 
clients healing from injury or getting a massage to relax?
The American foundation for the blind has a mentor program on the internet 
called career connect.
NFB might be able to pair you with a mentor too.

Good luck.
Ashley
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rania" <raniaismail04 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 5:57 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Update on meeting with a job placement specialist

> How about in my case whare you took a class twice but failed it twice so 
> you looked for another school to go to in your field of choice so you 
> could finish taking the classes you need only to find out that your 
> counselor was instructed to help you come up with a plan for a job instead 
> of you going back to school like you would like to. I am paying for school 
> and transportation this time sinse rehab is not helping me with neither 
> one this time. I applied and handed in my accommodations and got excepted 
> all on my own but rehab is trying to push so bad for me to go to work. How 
> would you handle this?
> Rania,
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 12:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Update on meeting with a job placement specialist
>
>
>> Hi Gedi,
>>
>> That's right!  Rehab should help you explore all the possibilities. 
>> Unfortunately, some rehab counselors are better than others and some have 
>> more open attitudes.  Mine didn't do anything to help me find summer 
>> employment in college; I found it on my own since fortunately there's a 
>> program called workforce recruitment program for students with 
>> disabilities out there.
>> I thought about working with kids in childcare or teaching but my 
>> counselor said negative things.  She did not say No or say it was not 
>> doable.  However she did imply it would be real difficult and its not a 
>> secure job.  She emphasized how much responsibility it was.
>>
>> I don't really care about other opinions.  I know my strengths and I'm 
>> stubborn.  So I will try it if I want to.  Right now I want an office 
>> job. It pays more and is certainly more secure.  Later on once I've 
>> gotten more confident in my own skills as well as had a chance to 
>> volunteer with kids, I might go into childcare or go back to school for a 
>> masters in education. Then I will teach.
>> I don't know yet.  Part of me still wants to teach but I realized through 
>> soul searching I'm doubtful I can control a classroom and manage 
>> conducting a whole class.  I don't know if I have the personality for it.
>>
>> Anyway, we have come a long way but there are people out there who still 
>> believe only certain jobs are possible for a blind person.  Its up to us 
>> to stand up and try new careers going with our desires and what we 
>> studied for rather than some mold of what we should do to please a rehab 
>> counselor.
>>
>> Ashley
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