[nabs-l] Some Questions...

[Jedi Moerke]

If it's any consolation, those of us who have some sense of direction come across the same after training issues. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of not being able to direct oneself, I think it has more to do with the difference in energy level between the center and your home environment. The center environment is constantly busy. There is no such thing as free time, even when you're outside of class. There are people to see, activities to engage in, errands to run, extracurricular classes to attend, all  kinds of things. At home, things tend to slip back into a comfortable routine. For many of us, we have to literally train our families from the ground up. That actually takes a considerable amount of energy! For some of us, training shows us just how many options we have! For any person, whether they be blind or cited, whether they feel like they have some direction or not, the options alone can move us to inaction for fear of wanting to choose the best option. So the first step is to not be so hard on yourself. You had and have a lot of things going on right now.

So once you feel like you have cooled your heels a bit, There are some things you can do to bring up  the energy level. Since you are thinking about college and work the first step is to talk with your rehabilitation counselor. Your rehab counselor can do a number of things. You might think about taking a vocational evaluation. A vocational evaluation will clarify your skills, your abilities, your strengths, and your areas for growth. Also consider taking a career inventory. I highly recommend the self-directed search as it is the only instrument that has been validated for people with disabilities. This particular instrument was Validated by including persons with disabilities in the design of the inventory. So, it's not like a special inventory just for people with disabilities. This is good because there are no funky attitudes influencing it. And inventory like this can provide you a list of careers to consider. This list is based on a profile of interests, abilities, and past experiences. From there, you can interview professionals already in these careers. You might even think about setting up job shadows. When you interview these professionals, ask for a realistic job preview. This is a truthful sketch of the positives and negatives about this career option. Once you've done some interviews and job shadows, think about what you have learned and decide whether or not you would be interested in a subset of your listed careers. Once that's done, find out what sort of education and training is required for success in these careers. This will determine whether or not you need to go to college or trade school. It might also give you a sense of whether or not you would be able and willing to jump through the hoops to get to that career. It would also give you a timeframe. For some people, the timeframe is extremely important.

After or while engaging in the process above, consider doing some paid or volunteer jobs this summer. Start by asking people you know. I have found less negativity about blindness from people I know then from total strangers. This is not a shoe in, but it's a pretty good bet. You may even have to think about developing your own job. I talked older Blind people how to use their computers. I also did a lot of diversity awareness trainings for folks. These jobs came about through my own creation because I was sick of hearing the word no. I didn't make a lot of money doing these jobs, but I did get some valuable experience. The money I did earn was helpful. Also, the federation has very is programs that need mentors. Think about signing up as a mentor for one of these programs now that you have finished training. This is another excellent volunteer experience. As someone who mentored at youth slam twice, I found the program not only helpful for the teens, but for me as well. I was also exposed to ideas and activities I have never been able to do before. Although I became a mobility instructor in the end, youth slam invigorated my love for science. Especially astronomy.

That ought to get you started. Just remember that you are not alone in this sense of listlessness. A lot of young people who are sighted  go through the same thing after they finish school. And just so you will know, I used Siri to scribble this message because I'm too lazy to do otherwise right now. So please forgive me in advance for any funky errors as a result. Thanks.

Respectfully,
Jedi

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 7, 2013, at 6:43 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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