[nabs-l] vr counselors and job support

Sun May 13 21:59:18 UTC 2012

That's my problem with most of the VR counselors, that I've dealt with!
They don't really care about us!
They just want to close our cases, because we're just an unwanted
burden, to them!
I'm supporting you, and am hoping for the best.
BTW, we complain all the time about VR, but what are we doing to
improve the system?
How can we improve it?
Well, after I get my degree, there's a job opening up, in my state, to
work for VR!
If more of us, (clients,) started trying to get jobs, working for VR,
we could be the very ones, to improve the systems, and make them
better support our people!
As a VR counselor, I'd make sure that my clients were able to get the
jobs, that they want, if possible!
Blessings, Joshua

On 5/13/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Hi Josh,
> No, this is an employee of the agency; its  a job placement specialist, not
>
> a center.
> My question is what do these people do? From the one blind client I spoke
> with, he said the specialist didn't do much of anything but told him to look
>
> online for job ads.
> I'll revise my sentence  from my first email.
>
> After  I just told her I looked and few entry level jobs there and to put
> down an internship where my foot will be in the door in the government  that
>
> may lead somewhere is insulting.
> Not clear here what insulted me.
>
> After I just told her I looked and found few entry level jobs I qualified
> for, I told her I  had an internship coming where I could get my foot in the
>
> door in the government and this internship may lead to more permanent work,
>
> her comment about finding a real job insulted me.
>
> I'll add its like all she cares about getting clients jobs, not good
> careers, to heck with what they want to do, just get them jobs and close
> their cases.
> Not a good attitude.  Also, many college grads are doing just what I am--
> getting internships to hopefully lead to full time work. There was an
> article in the New york times about this.  Inexperienced young people cannot
>
> find work.  What world do vr counselors live in?
> Well not the real world where people are struggling and worried about lay
> off and people are losing homes or working three part time jobs to pay for
> the essentials of life.
> I'm trying to say its tough for anyone, and being
> blind makes it a little harder. A vr counselor should support you by giving
>
> you the skills to look for work and help you network, not throwing you to
> some so called specialist who probably just finds any job and if you take it
>
> they can close your case. No, I'll be bold and stand up to them and go for
> the job that fits my skills.
>
> Ashley
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joshua Lester
> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2012 5:22 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] vr counselors and job support
>
> LWSB was a job placement center.
> You'd go, and they'd train you for the IRS programs.
> If you work with VR, you'll know, they'll try to send you to LWSB, or
> a center like it!
> Blessings, Joshua
>
> On 5/13/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Well, I couldn’t think of a good subject line for this complex issue.
>>
>> I’ll say that I graduated in 2009 with a general BA degree in liberal
>> studies; kind of where you make your won program to complete a degree; I
>> picked  my concentrations of social sciences and communication. Then
>> after
>> some training at our state center, I pursued a writing certificate at
>> Nova,
>> northern Virginia community college.  I’m finishing that next semester.
>> I
>> wanted to add more to my resume and take classes specific to writing, so
>> this was a good investment for me.  My career goal is broad; in this
>> economy
>> you cannot be too picky, whether you are blind or not.
>> I desire to work in something to help people. I’m thinking outreach,
>> communication, customer service, or development.  I want to work with a
>> team
>> of people in an office.
>>
>> That is some background.  Now as we all know getting a job is tough with
>> the
>> down economy and most jobs are gotten via networking anyway.
>> I networked via a disability mentoring day for customs and border patrol;
>>
>> I
>> was refered for a unpaid internship in section 508 compliance after
>> following up with the disability program manager. I intend to get this
>> internship once going through their rigorrous background check.
>>
>> Well, I’m frustrated with my vr counselor.  I tell her I’m looking for
>> work
>> and explain barriers like lack of experience; visual tasks in entry level
>> jobs that include filing, sorting mail, data entry etc, etc.
>> She schedules a meeting with me to talk over my case and I wonder if she
>> is
>> forcing a service on me for which it will do no good.
>>
>> I then tell her about my internship to end the call. “well, you are good
>> at
>> finding internships, but lets look for a real job.” How insulting! After
>> I
>> just told her I looked and few entry level jobs there and to put down an
>> internship where my foot will be in the door in the government  that may
>> lead somewhere is insulting.
>>
>> Have anyone of you worked with or  known people who worked with job
>> placement specialists?  This counselor wants to refer me
>> to one. I am skeptical he can help me unless he actually takes me out to
>> go
>> in person to employers, its called cold calls. I asked her what he’d do
>> for
>> me and she was real vague.
>> “He’ll send you job leads.” she said.  She said something about job
>> announcements.
>>
>> I’ll get more info in the meeting. But I just am not sure I should work
>> with
>> him. I mean it sounds on the surface like a waste of time.  I’d rather
>> have
>> vr work with me on things like a good cover letter, interview skills,
>> professional dos and don’ts, stuff like that. So, I’m wondering if any of
>> you had this service and how it went.
>>
>> Ashley
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