Disability & Job Seeking - Article

[snowyh]

Know when to hide your liabilities and when to confront them head-on.

Debra Ann MacDougall advises job seekers with troubled pasts or obvious disabilities on how to present themselves to hiring managers. She and Elisabeth Harney Sanders-Park lay out their strategy in a new book, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look For — Whether They Know It Or Not.

When a job-seeker's challenges are highly visible, like some physical disabilities or a serious weight problem, MacDougall recommends a direct approach. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits job discrimination based on disability, it's nevertheless wise to be upfront about a potential employer's possible concerns.

A client of hers who had lost an arm in a motorcycle accident would routinely answer the ubiquitous first job interview question — tell me about yourself — by saying, "You may have noticed that I have only one arm." Then he'd proceed to explain how he coped, using a specialized computer keyboard on which he could type 85 words a minute. "He had a positive, can-do attitude that inspired other workers," MacDougall says. He landed a job as an administrative assistant at a large company in Los Angeles.

Link to full article: finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110983/get-hired-despite-red-flags-in-your-story?mod=career-worklife_balance

Helen

[snowyh]

I'm a right forequarter amputee (arm & shoulder), so my disability is very visible. Hard to miss in a job interview.

I recently went through the job seeking process, and a recruiter advised me to bring up the subject of my disability in the interview. Just because US employers are legally prohibited from discriminating based on disability (as long as someone can perform the requirements of the job), doesn't mean that that may not do it anyway. They will likely have questions that they cannot ask because of the ADA, so job seekers will need to find a way to address those issues themselves. For instance, a lot of folks assume that a person with one arm cannot type very well or very fast. Since my job depends heavily on computer use (I'm an accountant), I needed to work it into the conversation how fast and accurate I am on a keyboard.

My approach was actually a bit broader. After the regular interview went well and the questions became more relaxed, I would say something like, "I'm sure you've noticed I'm an amputee. I just wanted you to know that you can ask me anything you want about it--I don't mind talking about it at all." They usually ask how (cancer), how long ago (38 yrs), and whether they "got it all" (yes, as far as we know). An then I amaze them with stories of how fast I can type.

My advice is to acknowledge the elephant in the room. The ADA is a great law, but it doesn't stop employers from being human. They still want to know what they're getting themselves into, so it's our job to put them at ease about hiring us.

Helen

[ann58]

Helen, I have a question for you....how do you type. I think probably alot of us would care to know {the others were to nice to ask}. Me, I type w/2 hands & still make alot of mistakes.

ann

[snowyh]

Well, Ann, first of all I use a standard QWERTY keyboard. I briefly tried using a left-handed keyboard and it drove me batty. I find those ergonomically-configured keyboards (shaped like a dome) almost impossible to use with one hand. They also make left-handed mice, which I've never tried and don't care to. I keep my mouse on the left side, and I use the number keys at the top of the keyboard instead of using the keypad on the right side of the keyboard.

I can't type by touch--I actually have to be looking at the keyboard while I'm typing, but I'm pretty fast--almost as fast as you 2-handed folks. I'm much faster when I'm composing & typing at the same time, rather than entering data that I'm reading from somewhere else (looking away from the keyboard costs me time)*. I will occasionally make typos, and the faster I go, the more I make.

When I need to hold down two or more keys at the same time that are farther apart than the reach of my fingers, I use a pencil (eraser side out) to press that last key. All computers have a feature called StickyKeys which allow a user to type in two or more keys sequentially that need to be held at the same time (go to Control Panel/Accessibility Options); however, I prefer the pencil-in-the-mouth method.

Helen

*I was tested once (many years ago) for speed & accuracy inputting numbers & words from a document into the computer and scored in the 90th percentile.

[barclay]

That's cool snowyh! I wish I could type faster and with less use of the backspace key :-(

[ann58]

Thanks for your reply...after I asked, I was afraid I had upset you. That is really cool as barclay said.

ann

[buster]

According to most companies, they have a code of conduct book requiring you to disclose medications your currently taking. Can they ask you this at an interview??

[ampgk]

Varies according to jurisdiction.

If they really want to know, they'll proceed immediately to the blood test.

[stinker373]

Wow! amazing story. I trip over the keys with tow hands and got the backspace key almost wore off the keyboard lol....Ihad noticed your posts to be lengthly and wondered how you managed. My congrats to you on a job well done