Finding a job isn’t easy for anyone but for job hunters with disabilities, the search can seem especially daunting.
Here some job search tips for the specially abled.
Keep the focus on what you can do – not what you can’t
All job seekers must convince an interviewer that they’re up to the job requirements. If you need to ask for an accommodation, phrase it in positive terms: “As long as I’m able to get my wheelchair in the door, I can attend the meeting.”
Interviewers are always more convinced by someone who offers a detailed plan than by someone who just says, “Sure, I can do that.” So explain not just that you can do the job, but how.
Discuss only what’s necessary about your disability
If you’re asked to an interview on the fifth floor of a building with no elevator and you can’t get up the stairs, you’ll need to explain that ahead of time. But “in most circumstances, the longer you put off disclosing your disability, the better off you are,” says Dan Ryan of the University of Buffalo, author of the Job Search Handbook for People with Disabilities.
If your disability is visible, it might be better to briefly acknowledge it, Ryan said — then move quickly to how you would do the work. “What you want to do is confront it and point out the fact that it doesn’t affect your ability to do the job,” he says.
Show, don’t just tell
Point to previous jobs or — if you don’t have any — internships or volunteer work. “Demonstrate that you can do the job,” Ryan says. “It’s true for everybody, but it’s just that much more important” if you have a disability.
Be confident
“The attitude of the job seeker has a huge impact on whether or not they get the job,” Ryan says.
Educate yourself
Many groups and websites offer help for workers with disabilities.
Click here to find and search jobs for the differently abled.
This article was published on Monster.com
