[nfbwatlk] Re Job hunting

[Elizabeth Rene]

Thank you, Mary Ellen, for your thoughtful and informative post.
The key is finding those mentors and contacts beyond the HR office. And maybe having a broader definition of what one's vocation necessarily involves. Maybe not all customer service representatives work at call centers, for instance. And maybe not all employers are companies.
I think of my state and county bar associations, for instance.
The Washington State Bar Association fields complaints from the public regarding lawyer misconduct. Those complaints might be resolved through  assisted communication or mediation, or may lead (After  investigation) to professional discipline or suspension of the attorney. The King County Bar Association operates a lawyer referral service, where members of the public can state their legal problems and be directed to a list of attorneys prepared to help them. Both of these activities of the state and local bar associations require people with sophisticated customer service skills.
What about public and private entities who hire ombudsmen? This is another customer service job, though maybe not a call center one.
Or what about the screener and trainer of volunteers at cancer lifeline, a suicide prevention nonprofit, or some other helping agency dealing with upset members of the public? The blind customer service rep might not take the calls personally, looking at a computer, but might be alert to the activities of those people who are on the phones, determining whether or not they are performing as they should. That's a customer service skill.
These are just some ideas, but in each of these situations the inherent skill of the person is the essential element of the job, and the technology is only an aide to their performance. Meaning that reasonable accommodations might be more readily available.
Thanks again for your post, Mary Ellen.
Elizabeth

Elizabeth M René 
Attorney at Law 
WSBA #10710
KCBA #21824 
rene0373 at gmail.com