[nabs-l] Some Questions...

Sat Jun 8 02:37:16 UTC 2013

The nfb also has some career pages, with success stories of blind people.

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 7, 2013, at 10:19 PM, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Kerri,
> 
> I think this is an excellent question. I would bet that virtually all
> blind people and virtually all sighted people have struggled with this
> issue. I have sighted research assistants who have graduated college
> and are unsure what to do afterward. Even my father, who was a
> successful doctor for twenty years, has struggled with career change
> decisions and made a substantial switch in his job in his mid-fifties.
> There are a multitude of careers and jobs out there, and it is hard to
> choose what you want to do and how that lines up with the jobs that
> are actually out there.
> I think this is a common issue that has little to do with blindness or
> being in training. However, I think there is a huge amount of pressure
> placed on blind people to pick a career path as soon as they graduate
> high school and to stick with that path forever. In my opinion this
> expectation is unrealistic and puts too much pressure on young people
> without motivating them. I have heard that the average person switches
> jobs every three to five years. Plenty of folks get a degree, work in
> one career for a while, then decide to re-train and do something else.
> There is nothing wrong with that.
> The suggestion I give most people is to just pick something you like,
> either a job opportunity that comes up or a college major, and just
> stay with it for as long as you like, knowing that you can always
> change your mind and do something else later. You can tell voc rehab
> that it is your career plan, and if you change your mind later, so be
> it.
> I also think that finding good mentors in whatever job or college
> major you pick is really important for staying motivated. I had
> mentors in college who gave me clear and supportive guidance about
> what direction to go into, and now my mentors in grad school are
> giving me the motivation I need to keep going toward my degree (which
> I still don't quite know what I'm doing afterward). It sounds like you
> had excellent mentors in training and you can find good mentors in
> work and school settings as well. In order to find them, though, you
> will need to take a step out and pick something to do, either a job or
> a degree. There are plenty of professional folks who want to take on
> young people as mentees, in the work world as well as in the NFB.
> I believe there are several jobs a blind person could do with just a
> high school degree, but getting a college degree will greatly increase
> your options. If VR is supporting you, there is little cost in going
> to college and getting a degree. While the degree will help you, the
> mentoring connections you could make in college, through classes and
> extracurricular activities, is equally if not more helpful
> 
> Best,
> Arielle
> 
> On 6/7/13, brooke anderson <brookenicholeanderson at gmail.com> wrote:
>> My dear I also struggle with the same. My opinion is if you want to work at
>> the Dunkin Donuts,you should. However just remember that it might not be
>> something you want to do for the rest of your life. also keep in mind that
>> you will most likely have to fight for your job.  many people will think
>> that you cannot do it. In reality, if you are good at slating, you can. do
>> not give up.
>> Nichole.
>> 
>> send from my galaxy note ii
>> On Jun 7, 2013 6:44 PM, "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Everyone:
>>> 
>>> I don't want to say too much on a public list, so I am going to try to
>>> keep this very general and just ask my questions.
>>> Basically, how did you decide what you wanted to do in life for a career?
>>> How did you pick your major?
>>> If you do not have much confidence in yourself, how did you find out
>>> what you were passionate about/wanted to do?
>>> How did you find internal motivation?
>>> How did you decide whether to go to school, or just get a job?
>>> What jobs can blind people do without a degree?
>>> What jobs can a blind person do just to gain confidence in themselves
>>> until they find direction?
>>> I find myself really struggling now that I am out of training. I did
>>> really well in training, but the goals I set in training do not apply
>>> now in the situation I am in because those goals were training
>>> specific. I think I also did really well in training because it was a
>>> routine and I got used to it. I was also always told what to do, or
>>> knew what I needed to work on in each class.
>>> I am really struggling finding motivation now that I am on my own and
>>> don't have the training center staff encouraging me, pushing me, and
>>> telling me what to do.
>>> My problem I think is if I am scared of someone, or I really
>>> respect/admire someone, or I am intimidated by someone, I will work as
>>> hard as I can and make sure to do everything they say. But, when just
>>> left to myself, on my own, I really really struggle to find
>>> motivation, make decisions about things, and find direction.
>>> Does anyone else find themselves struggling with this kind of thing
>>> after training or am I the only one?
>>> How have you gotten through it and found direction/your passion and
>>> what you wanted to do?
>>> The problem is my Rehab counselor called me today. He is someone I
>>> really respect. I am now stressing out because I want to at least have
>>> a plan for him when I return his call. I at least want him to think
>>> that after spending so much money to send me to training, I am
>>> motivated and am doing things and taking some sort of action rather
>>> than sitting around.
>>> But, I have no idea what jobs to look for or what to do. A Dunkin
>>> Donuts just opened here recently. Is there anything I could do there?
>>> I just want to show my counselor I have been doing something or at
>>> least have a plan.
>>> Thanks so much, and I look forward to reading your responses!
>>> Kerri
>>> 
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