| WORKING WORLD
By Tamar Asedo Sherman
If it’s been a while since your last job interview, and you’re thinking maybe you should try to get back into the work force, then your first step might be to dust off your résumé and update it.
When did your last job end? And what have you been doing since? You can’t very well document sitting in front of the tube and watching soap operas or spending your days at the computer, social networking on Facebook.
That might be the first barrier you have to get over: filling in the blanks since your last employment. Résumés have changed. You no longer have to put your experience in chronological order. You can instead top the page with a summary of who you are and what you have to offer, or what kind of position you are seeking, then highlight your skills in the next section. A chronology of your jobs is next, so the missing years are not quite so glaring.
Of course the first question on an interview might well be “What have you been doing since 2002?” If your disability is not obvious, you could say “Taking care of a health problem that has been resolved,” or “Caring for a family member,” which is not a lie, since you are a member of your family. If you use a mobility device, then you could say “Adjusting to my new situation.”
If you get an interview, however, then the résumé has served its purpose. Remember, an employer cannot ask you about your disability and you are under no obligation to disclose it, unless you are asking for an accommodation. Seeing you using a wheelchair, an employer is permitted to ask only if you can perform the essential duties of the job and no more. He cannot ask, “What happened to you?” or “Why are you using a wheelchair?”
An employer may ask what accommodations, if any, you would need on the job. Those of you with mobility problems might ask for a parking spot close to the front door, a work station that is large enough for your wheelchair, a desk/computer at an appropriate height, and an accessible rest room.
I went on a job interview with the State University of New York where the door to a stall had been removed and replaced with a shower curtain. There were no grab bars in that particularly narrow stall, yet the director of the facility claimed it was wheelchair accessible, that he was told it was up to code. Outraged, I ranted and raved about this affront to my dignity. You bet I did not get that job!
You would also need to brush up on interview techniques. Prepare that “elevator speech” of who you are, what you can do and what kind of job you are looking for, to be spoken in 60-seconds or less. Write yourself a script if need be and rehearse it, so when you make that call or answer one from an employer responding to your résumé, you are prepared. The invariable question is “Tell me about yourself,” and you don’t want to be caught speechless.
If you go to your local newspaper to check want ads, you might be surprised to discover that there aren’t many. The job market is not that bleak, despite high unemployment. It’s that electronic media have taken over the newspaper’s traditional job. If you don’t have your own computer, go to your local library and learn how to look for jobs. Try www.craigslist.com, where you can pinpoint your city and the kind of job you are looking for, www.indeed.com or www.jobcruncher.com, where you can input your ZIP code and job title. Both cull ads from other job sites to save you the trouble of going from www.monster.com to www.careerbuilder.com to www.hotjobs.yahoo.com and many others.
There are sites specifically for people with disabilities, such as www.gettinghired.com, www. EnableAmerica.org, or www.AbilitiesOnline.org.
You also need to learn how to write a cover letter, using the same keywords that are in the job listing, and how to attach your résumé in order to apply online to these listings.
But maybe most important, get psychologically prepared. Many people are either afraid of success or afraid of failure to the point that they do all the prep work, but then don’t follow through. They send out résumés, but then freeze when they get a response.
And if you receive Social Security Disability benefits, know in advance whether you want parttime work to keep your benefits, or whether you are willing to try for full-time work, which might mean you would relinquish your benefits.
Tamar Asedo Sherman is an employment specialist. She can be reached at action@unitedspinal.org.
