Hello all-

Last week I told you that I might have some good news for you come this week. Well, I had my first interview on Monday of this week, and it went relatively well until the discussion about entering people’s homes.  In the original job posting it did not list this as a requirement for the job. If it had, I would have never applied because of the general inaccessibility of most people’s homes. 

Some good did come of it though—first of all, I got through my first interview! I was sweating bullets all day up until the interview, but it went well. They told me that with my qualifications I would have gotten hired if it weren’t for the accessibility issues. I am relieved to hear this because of my lack of experience in the field. Secondly, I learned to not always trust what you read in a job posting.  Rather, you should inquire about the specific job itself because the interviewer may not have written the post themselves so there is the potential for miscommunication. Thirdly, even though I did not tell the employer of my disability prior to the interview, they did not seem shocked or put off at all and went through the interview with me professionally. They also gave me the opportunity to determine whether or not I felt I was capable of the job, rather than just assuming I couldn’t do it. 

I have a second interview today with the Rehabilitation Services Commission, but I won’t be able to share any details about that until later because they have a more complex interview process—it is working for the government after all. This job will let me work in the field that most interested me anyways, since I’ve always had a soft-spot in my heart for transition services.  This is because I have had experience in transition myself, and see things that could be improved. While this is only a temporary position for 1,000 hours I feel more comfortable with this job because their expressed goal is to hire someone with a disability for the position in order to increase staff diversity. Essentially this job will allow me to do the same things that my BVR counselors does for me and for other people.

Through my career counseling I have learned about a “Facebook for professionals” called LinkedIn, which I recommend to anybody who is searching for a job. This social network links you to employers and other professionals that have the same interests as you do, or the same goals. If you link to them, much like a friend request, your network increases, allowing their connections to see your profile, thereby expanding your visibility in the job marketplace. Even though it is for professionals and those entering the job market, I highly recommend you getting familiar with it as soon as possible. It’s free to join, so check it out at www.linkedin.com.  

For those of you who may not have been following me from the beginning of The Wheel World, I can’t believe the summer has flown by so quickly, and things may be winding down.  I never realized that this job search could turn out to be a lot like a job all by itself.   It’s certainly been a growth experience and I know, it may be just getting started.