[nfb-talk] Some Job Questions...

Sat Nov 23 04:45:37 UTC 2013

Hi Everyone:

Thanks so much for all your responses!
Maybe I should give a little more details about my situation.
I have had two years of college previously. Last January, I graduated
from LCB. The problem with me is I have a very hard time motivating
myself. At LCB I thrived because I was always pushed and was held
accountable for everything. But, since I've graduated I've really
struggled with motivating myself, with my self-esteem, my
self-confidence, and thinking positively.
I am trying to turn my life around and so I figured I'd check the
classified ads in the newspaper every day and apply for jobs that seem
like simple jobs I could possibly do. I have also applied back to
school. I figured if I were to get one of these jobs I could just work
for a while, and if none of these jobs work out I could go back to
school.
I don't exactly know what I want to do;I just know doing nothing is
making me miserable and depressed.
I don't necessarily want to go into the food/restaurant business. I
just saw the ad for Panerra Bread and the pretzel place.
If I contact my business enterprise cafeteria will that prepare me for
a temporary job like I am looking for or will they expect me to
actually enter the food/restaurant business as a career?
Thanks,
Kerri

On 11/22/13, Michael Bullis <bullis.michael at gmail.com> wrote:
> I think you're on the right track if you think about how to do a job rather
> than how to get the job.  Because, once you're comfortable that you can do
> it, you can more likely get it.
> So, go down to your local Business Enterprise cafeteria and ask them to let
> you learn how to run the dishwasher and operate the cash register.  Maybe
> at
> first you just start out with the dishwasher and get comfortable with how
> it
> works and then where the dishes go, Etc.
> Then, you ask for more responsibility.  Along the way they may or may not
> pay you.  But you shouldn't focus on that.  Just focus on learning what a
> food service kitchen and operation is all about.
> I've owned several restaurants and started out in the Randolph-Shepard
> (Business Enterprise) program.
> As far as making pretzels, try to read some things about how pretzels are
> made and see if they help you see what's involved in doing it.  Then, go to
> a pretzel making place and ask them to show you how they make them.
> If they do it by hand or machine it will be different, or, if they do it
> Like Ben and I did it, like buying them frozen, that's different as well.
> Most modern places make them themselves.
> The reason I would start out with business enterprise is that they're going
> to be more comfortable with a blind guy.
> Even today, even having run several food operations for ten or fifteen
> years, I'm not sure your average restaurant manager would be comfortable
> with me wandering around in his kitchen.  The average employer doesn't know
> what you can do and will be nervous about it.  If you are comfortable that
> you can do things, that helps grately.
> Cash registers in the average business don't talk, so, unless you get very
> lucky, that's going to be a problem.  Although, I do hear some talking
> registers now and then.  Otherwise, they're all digital and not accessible
> without substantial modification that costs far more money than a minimum
> wage employee is worth.  But, again, you have the business enterprise
> program to learn at because they will have talking cash registers, or, some
> very old cash registers that don't talk, but also don't do much else, like
> tracking inventory as it is sold, or processing credit cards.
> I'd be glad to talk with you more about this off line.  It's a very doable
> thing you want to do, but, you'll have to know your strengths and skills if
> you want the average restaurant or pretzel seller manager to hire you.
> Mike Bullis
> Baltimore
> Bullis.michael at gmail.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Prows,
> Bennett (HHS/OCR)
> Sent: Friday, November 22, 2013 1:46 PM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Some Job Questions...
>
> Kerri and Listers,
>
> There are a lot of blind folks in the food industry. The "business
> enterprises" programs in your state could probably answer some of your
> questions. I don't know the ins and outs of running a food business, but
> there are devices that will help a blind person function nicely at a cash
> register, cooking, etc.
>
> Not knowing the pretzel making duties, I wouldn't' advise in any way, but
> imagine that it isn't hard to use alternative techniques to make them. I
> know, that the NFB of Oregon sold "hot soft pretzels" at an October fest
> for
> several years, and that only required the microwaving of the pretzels after
> preparing the frozen pretzel with proper amounts of salt, etc. But that's
> about as much info as I have on the whole subject. I'm sure there are
> others
> on the list that can and will respond.
>
> If you are interested in food businesses, contact our Blind Merchants
> Division for much more help than I have been.
>
> /s/
>
> Bennett Prows
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kerri
> Kosten
> Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 3:12 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list; Blind Talk Mailing
> List; NFB Talk Mailing List; Ed McDonald
> Subject: [nfb-talk] Some Job Questions...
>
> Hi Everyone:
>
> I am considering applying for some jobs and had a few questions.
> Antians Pretzels (a pretzel place in the mall) is looking for "crew
> members." I have been told this means someone to make the pretzels and
> serve
> them to the customers, and someone to likely run the register and take the
> pretzel orders.
> There is a restaurant called Panara Bread (a popular sandwich chain)
> opening
> soon in my area and they are hiring for all positions.
> I am considering applying at these places.
> Is there any way a blind person can run a cash register?
> Is there actually anything I could do at these places as a blind person or
> will they immediately look at my blindness and turn me away?
> I won't go into full details on a listserve, but I am trying to turn my
> life
> around and one of the ways I thought I could do this was to find a simple
> job that would give me confidence, something to do, and to show me that I
> can in fact work.
> I'll admit, this is my first time applying for a job. If I apply, and they
> ask me to come in for an interview, and they say something like "So, what
> can you do?" if I'm not sure myself what I can do how do I respond?
> In the past I've just made the excuse that because of my blindness there is
> nothing I could do when looking for jobs and just given up but if I want to
> turn things around I have to do something and applying for jobs is one of
> the things I can think of to do.
> Thanks,
> Kerri
>
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