[Social-sciences-list] Job interview anxieties with social science professionals

Thu Jul 18 21:49:25 UTC 2013

Peter,I'm not quite sure what you are asking. I don't see anything
wrong with applying for jobs through Schedule A or another
affirmative-action program. I also don't see a problem with mentioning
blindness in your application if it is actually relevant or if it
would make you a better candidate. For example, if applying for an
assistive tech job, saying you are blind and thus have lots of
experience using assistive tech seems like it would be appropriate.
Since I want to do research involving the experiences of blind people
and others with disabilities, I am telling universities where I am
applying that I am blind and that because of this I have insider
knowledge and connections to the blind community that other applicants
may not have. I'm only saying it probably doesn't help to mention
blindness as a potential caveat, or to express doubts about how well
you can handle the job, before you even get an interview. Does that
make sense?

Best of luck in your application to the Air Force.

Arielle

On 7/18/13, Gabias, Paul <paul.gabias at ubc.ca> wrote:
> Arielle is right!
> It is best to think of applying for a pool of jobs.  Just playing the
> numbers, if enough jobs are applied for, the numbers will sort
> themselves out in your favour, if you apply for enough jobs.  Blindness
> is not necessary to mention, at this point.  I think of it as a kind of
> electronic dating activity, except, you don't want a romantic
> relationship with a partner, you want a pecuniary relationship with a
> person or firm, or both.
>
> All The Best
>
> Paul Gabias
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Social-sciences-list
> [mailto:social-sciences-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Arielle
> Silverman
> Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 4:28 PM
> To: Blind Social Scientists List
> Subject: Re: [Social-sciences-list] Job interview anxieties with social
> science professionals
>
> Totally agree. I definitely wouldn't bring up blindness on a resume or
> application. Being ready to offer information about how you do things
> during the interview is a great idea. Employers aren't supposed to ask
> questions about disability, and if they have doubts, they may not get
> those doubts resolved unless you as the applicant bring up the issue and
> lay their doubts to rest.
>
> I would apply for whatever jobs sound appropriate regardless of the
> software used. I would reason that if the employer likes me enough, they
> will figure out what accommodations are needed, either low-tech or
> high-tech ones.
> As I am starting to apply for long-term jobs myself, I have been advised
> not to pass up any job just because I think I might not meet the
> qualifications or might not be the perfect fit for that job. Let the
> employer make that decision, rather than disqualifying yourself for jobs
> by not applying. Of course, you should only apply for jobs you would
> actually want to have.
>
> Best of luck,
> Arielle
>
> On 7/17/13, Alexander Castillo <alexandera.castillo at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello Peter, so you're really concerned about not being able to
>> perform  on the job, and having to stumble and fumble your way through
>
>> your job duties after being hired. For most people, this is a
>> confidence issue.
>>
>> Some people like to bring in some of their assistive tech to
>> interviews, for example, an iphone paired with a blue tooth keyboard
>> and headphones, to make the point that they are tech-smart.
>>
>> Others simply list on their application that they have had experience
>> with online record keeping applications or databases, to make it clear
>
>> that again, they are competent at doing so and only an accommodation
>> might need to be made so that they can perform this part of the job.
>>
>> Unless there is a list of non-accessible databases or record keeping
>> applications  out there, no one will really know what they will
>> encounter on the job. Some agencies or organizations do list the type
>> of software used, but these are rare occasions.
>>
>> You can learn the application after you are on the job,  and they can
>> always accommodate you when possible but you wil not be given the job
>> if you bring up possible reasons as to why they might want to hire
>> someone else.
>>
>> I'm sure you've considered focusing on solutions and not issues in the
>
>> past, and have been successful at this. It's tough to apply this when
>> on the job hunt and especially when disclosing or speaking about a
>> disability.  This is one solution that many people find helpful when
>> faced with a similar situationins. Instead of putting the focus on
>> questions they will ask the employer,  they create answers to the
>> questions of how they will perform, or how they will be able to do x,
>> y, or z responsibility... They also work in answers to the typical
>> interview questions which may include a reference to how they dealt
>> with a situation using some non-visual alternative.
>>
>> Some blind professionals who seem to be overwhelmed by these and other
>
>> issues find themselves often lacking the confidence that they realize
>> is needed to succeed  in both personal and professional lives. One
>> solution to this is to attend a good blindness training center . for
>> those who have never done so, think of it as taking a   well-worth-and
>> deserved 6 to 9 month skills, confidence building and leadership
>> training opportunity.
>>
>> Other times the issue is just a lack of experience in a new career
> setting.
>> And, this may be helped by only getting experience through volunteer
>> or paiy in that type of environment.
>>
>> Thanks for reading, and of course, you are the experet on you...
>>
>> Alex
>>
>> On 7/17/13, Andrews, David B (DEED) <david.b.andrews at state.mn.us>
> wrote:
>>> You are putting the cart before the horse, it seems to me.  You are
>>> talking yourself out of jobs, and talking them out of hiring you
>>> before you get your foot in the door.  You need to get them to want
>>> to hire you first, then see if you can work out the access issues.
>>> If you try and do the access issues first, you will never get a job.
>>>
>>> You need to have ideas about how you would solve certain problems,
>>> but unless it is a technical job, and/or you are very technical, the
>>> access issues will be solved by others.  The Air Force has people who
>
>>> work in the areas of accessibility and accommodations.  Make them do
>>> their jobs.  But first you have to make the Air Force want to hire
>>> you by showing them what you can do  for them !
>>>
>>>
>>> Dave
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Social-sciences-list
>>> [mailto:social-sciences-list-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On Behalf Of Peter Wolfe
>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 5:13 AM
>>> To: social-sciences-list at nfbnet.org
>>> Subject: [Social-sciences-list] Job interview anxieties with social
>>> science professionals
>>>
>>> Hey,
>>>
>>>
>>>     What questions do I ask in my job interview that pertain to my
>>> blindness? I'm asking cause lots of technology like software and
>>> websites aren't accessible to the blind. I don't know which jobs to
>>> go for and the ones to go for because of this anxiety that I'm having
>
>>> over it. This leads to my segway cause I'm always worried about
>>> databases being accessible or not. For example, I'm about to apply
>>> for a job with the Air Force that has a child abuse database but not
>>> sure its accessible or not. Thanks for whatever your thoughts are on
>>> this topic.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Peter
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Social-sciences-list mailing list
>>> Social-sciences-list at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/social-sciences-list_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> Social-sciences-list:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/social-sciences-list_nfbnet.org/ale
>>> xandera.castillo%40gmail.com
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Social-sciences-list mailing list
>> Social-sciences-list at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/social-sciences-list_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> Social-sciences-list:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/social-sciences-list_nfbnet.org/arie
>> lle71%40gmail.com
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Social-sciences-list mailing list
> Social-sciences-list at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/social-sciences-list_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Social-sciences-list:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/social-sciences-list_nfbnet.org/paul.g
> abias%40ubc.ca
>
> _______________________________________________
> Social-sciences-list mailing list
> Social-sciences-list at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/social-sciences-list_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Social-sciences-list:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/social-sciences-list_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.com
>