[nfbwatlk] Job hunting

Fri Nov 7 15:31:31 UTC 2014

this is excellent information and well put.
Thanks for sharing!
good luck Debbie, you have what it takes.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary ellen via nfbwatlk" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
To: "'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 12:57 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Job hunting


>I just reread "What Color Is Your Parachute."  For those of you who don't
> know about this book, it was all the rage for job seekers in the 1970s.
> Unlike many fad books, the writer of this one has worked hard to keep it 
> up
> to date.  I recommend it as a beginning point if you're looking for a job.
> Here are a few thoughts that came to me after reading his book again.
>
> I believe that looking on web sites for job listings is largely a waste of
> time, if you're hoping to get hired for one of the posted jobs.  It's not 
> a
> waste of time if you're intending to explore the job market, find out 
> who's
> hiring, for what jobs, and at what wages.  Use posted job listings as a
> means of getting a snapshot of the type of economy out there.
>
> Then the real work begins.  If one of the companies in your area interests
> you, find everything you can about that company and read it.  What appear 
> to
> be its strengths?  Where is it facing challenges?  What particular skills 
> do
> you have that will help the company meet its challenges?
>
> I realize this seems silly when what you want to do is be a customer 
> service
> representative in a call center.  The job seems fairly straightforward and
> the company's objective plain.  On the surface it would seem that what you
> need to prove is that you have a nice phone manner, are genuinely 
> interested
> in helping the customer, and that there are ways for you to accomplish the
> job as a blind person.
>
> There are a lot of people out there with nice phone voices and a sincere
> desire to be of help.  They don't have the added complexity of needing
> alternative techniques and accessible technology.  So that would seem to 
> put
> you at the end of the line and the bottom of the barrel.
>
> Not necessarily!  If you can get to someone who does hiring, you can
> demonstrate that your superior preparedness and insightful problem solving
> is precisely what they need.  Frame any discussion of blindness around how
> learning to be blind has made you flexible and good at figuring out new 
> and
> different ways to get things done.
>
> That won't always work.  If there really is a technology hurdle that can't
> be solved, like the one Mike described, you may not be able to help that
> employer by becoming a great employee.  I'm somewhat discouraged at the
> frequency with which we face this problem, but the problem of no 
> independent
> access to print used to be the norm and blind people were still hired.
> Collectively we can solve these problems, too, though the process is bound
> to be frustrating.
>
> Employers really don't care whether you're blind or sighted.  They care
> about whether you can do the job they need done with the least possible
> inconvenience to them.  Your task is to show them that hiring you will
> ultimately be the most convenient and effective choice.
>
> What do you have going for you?  Each person will answer that question
> differently.  All answers ultimately come down to skills, character, and
> personality compatibility.  .  Find out what you can about the corporate
> culture.  Is it a laid back atmosphere, or is it high pressure?  Do they
> want people to do things the way they've always been done, or is the 
> company
> a place where fresh ideas are valued?  Do workers go out for a beer 
> together
> at the end of the work week, or does everybody just get out of there as 
> soon
> as the shift ends?
>
> If you know somebody that works for one of your target companies, 
> interview
> that person informally.  Can you get an introduction to a supervisor in 
> the
> department where you want to work?  If you can, make it clear that you're
> interested but do not expect to have a job interview or be hired.  Your
> purpose is to find out what the company might be looking for in the near
> future and whether you've got abilities the company needs.  Frame the 
> whole
> thing as an exploration of how you can help the company.  Do that in your
> own mind, too, not just as a nice sounding gambit.  The more your frame of
> mind shifts to helping the company succeed, the more creatively you will 
> be
> able to find tools and techniques.  Also -- and this is really significant
> -- you might decide that you really don't like the place much and you'd
> rather not work there.
>
> Remember that a job hunt and interview is a two-way conversation.
> Applicants often subtly give away their personal power when their only
> thought is "Oh, I hope they like me and will hire me."  Remember that you
> are evaluating the company, too.  If you work for them, you'll be giving
> them half your waking hours five days a week.  If you really don't like 
> the
> atmosphere, you're letting yourself in for a lot of misery by accepting a
> job there.  Remember that you're involved in mutual evaluation and you'll
> gain much more control of the process.
>
> It's also important to keep in mind the task of the people you're talking
> to.  You should always remember, for example, that the real purpose of
> personnel departments (now called HR or similar acronyms) is to weed out
> applicants. They're gate keepers.  If you happen to meet a personnel
> department person willing to be an advocate for you with managers, you've
> found a gem!  Otherwise, you need to get to the people who actually do the
> hiring. If you get a line supervisor interested in hiring you, things will
> go more smoothly.
>
> In "What Color Is Your Parachute?" there's a chart describing the
> effectiveness of a lot of job search techniques.  Most of the techniques
> they teach in job hunting classes, like preparing resumes, answering on 
> line
> ads, etc. have effectiveness rates under fifteen per cent.  He claims that
> the strategy he proposes is effective 86% of the time.  This rambling post
> hasn't done justice to the kind of job research he suggests.  I believe 
> he's
> right, though.  Especially for blind people, doing very targeted research
> and seeking mentors and allies is the most effective strategy.
>
> Good luck, Debbie.  You have a lot to offer a perceptive employer.  You're
> intelligent, well spoken, considerate of others, friendly, willing to put
> yourself out there and learn new things, loyal, inclined to finish what 
> you
> start.  I could go on, but that list alone should be enough to make you
> highly sought after.  You need to find a way for employers to discover the
> things about you that your friends know.  If you can, you won't be out of
> work for long.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbwatlk [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Walt Cone
> via nfbwatlk
> Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 8:26 AM
> To: debby phillips; NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Job hunting
>
>
>
> nt from my IPhone
> ----Walt Cone
> Sent from my iphone---
>
>
>> On Nov 6, 2014, at 01:52, debby phillips via nfbwatlk
> <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Well, I just spent the evening looking at jobs.  I found a company that
> I'm going to contact, though I think their call center jobs are all
> temporary.  The last one they posted was for people to help folks with the
> Affordable Care Act.  I wish I'd known about this job last winter.  I 
> might
> have applied for it.  It would have only lasted four months, but it was a
> great call center job.
>>
>> So okay, I have questions.  We talk about how blindness shouldn't get in
> the way of living the life we want.  So right now, I want to get a job and 
> I
> pretty much don't care what I do.  My broad goal is customer service. 
> Boy,
> that includes everything from truck driver to selling cars at Camp
> Chevrolet.  Lol.  So here are a few jobs that I'm wondering if blind 
> people
> have done, and how; cashier at a store; there also is a job for a book
> seller at Barnes and Noble.  I love books, and wonder if you all know of
> anyone who's done this kind of job.  Also, what about selling or working 
> at
> an insurance company like State Farm? (They seem to be hiring like crazy
> around here for whatever reason).
>>
>> Okay, next question.  I have to go to the Employment Service Division
> Office for a three-hour class on Monday.  (If I don't go, I could be 
> denied
> unemployment benefits).  If I call them tomorrow and tell them that I'm
> blind and will need assistance, will I get it? I have a folder with my 
> most
> current resume, and applications that I've done, which I'll take.  But 
> Craig
> says that he doesn't think he should go with me, that they should give me
> stuff in an accessible format (which they won't).  The purpose of this 
> class
> is to learn how to write resumes, I guess, and some other stuff.  Other 
> then
> showing up to fulfill their requirement, is this going to be a waste of
> time? (I don't really have that many sighted friends here, so if Craig
> doesn't go with me and they can't or won't help me, is this just going to 
> be
> a three hour time of frustration?
>>
>> It irritates me that I already know that I'm going to walk in the door 
>> and
> they will all freak out because they won't know what to do about this 
> blind
> lady who's going to come to their class.  I don't mean to sound whiny.  I
> probably do.  Sorry about that.  But any suggestions about how to approach
> this class and at least get something out of it, would be appreciated.
>>
>> I guess I'd best go to bed.  After the elections, I'm afraid we're all
> going to find ourselves falling backward about 20 or 30 years.    Peace,
> Debby
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nfbwatlk mailing list
>> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nfbwatlk:
>>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/walt.cone%40gmail.comH
> i Debbie,
>
>     Unfortunately to get the unemployment benefits you will have to attend
> the classes required to get your unemployment benefits you payed taxes to
> get.
>
>     I remember at one time they would deny benefits to a blind person and
> tell them to go to the "blind agency" as I was told to do in Arizona.  I
> fought the system and won but then had to do what was required by
> unemployment and what Services for the blind required me to do.  I have
> learned to get a job you have to have the skills but you also have to play
> the games too.
> Walt
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbwatlk mailing list
> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nfbwatlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/gabias%40telus.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbwatlk mailing list
> nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nfbwatlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/jdwtlc%40frontier.com