[nabs-l] vr counselors and job support

Mon May 14 14:55:17 UTC 2012

Do what I did go get your BA in broadcast Journalism and Mass 
Communications.  Intern at tons of stations and get college radio 
experience.  You can do it man!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joshua Lester" <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] vr counselors and job support

Amen!
A field that I really wanted to pursue was broadcasting, but I don't
have the means, to learn the trade!
I don't have the equipment, or the resources.
My VR counselor probably wouldn't help me in that endeavor, because
the station I want to start, will be a Christian station.
BTW, it gets worse, when you find out my situation!
I'll start a new thread, going through the history of VR, in Arkansas.
Blessings, Joshua

On 5/14/12, Brian Hatgelakas <brian.hatgelakas at verizon.net> wrote:
> Agreed Josh and that's ashaim why do people go into that field if they 
> don't
>
> like helping others then?  If I pursue that degree I would help all my
> clients as long as they were motivated!
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joshua Lester" <jlester8462 at students.pccua.edu>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, May 14, 2012 5:46 AM
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] vr counselors and job support
>
>
> Yeah, but some of them deserve to lose their jobs!
> Just saying!
> Blessings, Joshua
>
> On 5/13/12, Brian Hatgelakas <brian.hatgelakas at verizon.net> wrote:
>> These VR Counselors will never experience a "job loss" because their
>> government jobs have it great!  with benifits good pay and government
>> holidays off!
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2012 5:50 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] vr counselors and job support
>>
>>
>> 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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