Job Seeking Tips for People with Disabilities

Joe Chiappetta

How Much Time Does It Take to

Find A Job?

Your Job Is Looking for a Job!• If NOT in school, wake up early...

• Search 8 hours per day, 5 days per week

• If full-time student...• Search at least 2 hours, 5 days per week

Five Resume Tips (1 of 5)

1. Customize resume to the job

• Review job description and highlight important credentials

• Include keywords from job description

Five Resume Tips (2 of 5)2. Make a name for yourself

• State career goal, plus 1 or 2 of your top credentials.

• Credentials should be tailored to employer’s needs.

• Example: Sous Chef - Culinary Degree & 5 Years Fine Dining Experience

Five Resume Tips (3 of 5)

3. State objective clearly

• Show that you're a perfect fit for the position.

• Concise, targeted statement instead of a general objective that could be used for any employer or job

Five Resume Tips (4 of 5)4. Give resume room• At least 1-inch margins • Use blank space between

sections of text • Stick with 1 font• Bold and italics sparingly

• Avoid underlining

• Bullets to emphasize skills and accomplishments

Five Resume Tips (5 of 5)5. Use numbers to

highlight accomplishments

• Which is more impressive?Wrote news releases.Wrote 25 news releases in 3-week period under daily deadlines.

Make List of Skills You Have

• What are you good at?

• Not skills you wish you had

• Not skills you almost have

• Skills you have right now

IN-DEMAND Skills

• Skills that many companies are hiring for RIGHT NOW!

• If your skills are not in-demand, consider re-training:

• School

• Volunteer work

• Training Program

Circle the In-Demand Skills

• Show this list to people who know you.

• Ask them if they can add to your list.

• The more In-Demand skills, the better.

$ Sell Yourself $

• How good are you at pitching your in-demand skills?

• Practice your pitch

Networking

• How big is your network?

• It's not who you know...

• It's who knows YOU.

• Identify your network, and work it.

Your Network People

• Friends

• Family

• Teachers

• Leaders

• Friends of Friends/Family

• Acquaintances

Your Network Places

• Places near home• Places off the train or

bus line nearest you• Places where you are

a customer• Places where people

in your network are customers

Your Network Groups

• Schools• Clubs• Sports teams• Interest groups• Ethnic associations• Religious affiliations• If network is too small, join something

else.

Who Is Helping You?

The Help

• It Does Matter Who Is Helping You.

• If you're a customer of a job placement agency, ask...• "How many job seekers

are on your caseload?"• "What percentage of

people do you place?"• Don’t rely on one agency.

Who to Follow Up With

• Employers

• Everyone in your network

• Agencies

• Recommended websites

Job Search Websites

• Set up job alerts atwww.Monster.com

www.Careerbuilder.com

www.IllinoisJobLink.com

• Sites to check weeklywww.Craigslist.com

Other local classified sites

Looks and Attitude

• How important is appearance?

• How important is attitude?

• The smile factor:)

Social Skills can make or break you.

Workplace Social Skills:How well can

you...

1. Talk and Listen to Boss and Coworkers

2. Work as a Team

3. Get Work Done

Talk and Listen to Boss and Coworkers

1. Start discussion

2. Understand facial expression

3. Check your voice

Work as a Team

1. Self-Maintenance2. Self-Control3. Handle bad behavior4. Get along with

coworkers5. Be a team player

Get Work Done

1. Follow directions

2. Explain needs to boss and coworkers

3. Respond to good feedback

4. Respond to correction

Americans with Disabilities Act

• Law passed in 1990 (ADA)• Amended in 2008 (ADAAA)• Employers with 15 or more

employees must comply.• ADA Title 1 (employment)

enforced by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

ADA Legal Requirements

• Makes employer job discrimination against people with disabilities illegal

• Covers recruitment, pay, hiring, firing, promotion, job assignments, training, leave, lay-off, benefits, all other employment related activities

• Person with disability must be qualified to perform essential functions of job with or without reasonable accommodation

Disability Definition under ADA

(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual;(B) a record of such an impairment; or(C) being regarded as having such an impairment.

Not a Transitory Impairment(expected to last more than 6 months)

Major Life Activities (ADAAA)Includes, but not limited to...• Caring for self, performing manual

tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, working

• Major bodily functions of immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, reproductive functions

When to Disclose Disability

1. Interview process

2. After job offer

3. On the job when an impairment makes performing essential job functions impossible without reasonable accommodation

4. Never

Reasonable AccommodationCrash Course(ADA Title 1)

Reasonable Accommodation is for...• Employers of 15 or more employees• All state/local government employers• Person who is qualified (with or

without accommodation)

Reasonable Accommodation is...Change to job or workplace allowing person to:• Participate in job app process• Perform essential functions of job

Reasonable Accommodation is NOT

• Tolerating violent or abusive behaviors

• Non-adherence to fundamental policies and procedures

• Personal services (toileting, feeding, medications, wheelchairs)

• Undue hardship: Significant admin or financial burden

• Allowing direct threat to health/safety

Reasonable Accommodation:What to ask supervisor for?Which do not apply to ADA?

1. "I'm having trouble getting to work at my scheduled starting time because of medical treatments I'm undergoing."

2. "I need six weeks off to get treatment for a back problem."

3. "My chair is uncomfortable. I really need a new one to do my job!"

4. "I need a quieter workspace to be more productive!"

Reasonable Accommodation

Examples• Make existing facilities accessible

• Job restructuring• Part-time or modified work schedules

• Acquire or modify equipment

• Change tests, training materials, or policies

• Provide qualified readers or interpreters

• Reassignment to a vacant position

Employee Accommodation Steps

1.Employee makes request2.Manager writes it (or ask employee to)3.Health info: Kept confidential4.Is more info needed on medical

condition or accommodation?5.If request is not reasonable, enter

interactive process6.Both parties explore effective

accommodation options7.Start accommodation

The Request Includes...

• Nature of disability• Reason for request• Specific accommodation requested• Medical info if necessary

Request doesn't have to be in writing but having it written, dated, and signed establishes clarity.

Accommodation AdviceJob Accommodation Network:• Free technical assistance• Search Job Accommodation

Database

• (800) 526-7234 (Voice)

• (877) 781-9403 (TTY)• www.askjan.org

CONTACT

If info from this session helps you find a job, please let me know:

Joe Chiappetta

http://www.linkedin.com/in/chiappetta/

www.chicagolandchamber.org