For graduates with disability, the actual process of finding and keeping work is usually no different than it is for anyone else. You need to locate a suitable position and employer and convince them you are the best person for the job, keeping in mind your own special requirements. To do this you need to present a professional ‘package’; in the way you act, speak, dress, handle telephone calls and emails, the same applies to how you present your résumé, cover letter and portfolio.
Work Experience and Volunteering
Knowing what it is like to work is an important part of being job ready, and work experience or voluntary work can be valued just as highly as paid jobs. Many people who have had a disability since childhood may never have worked. Alternatively, this may be your first job since acquiring your disability or you may be unsure whether you are able to do the type of work that interests you. If this is your situation, work experience and/or volunteering are excellent avenues to experience the work environment. They also help to develop the kind of employable skills you need to promote in your résumé, and will help you to feel more comfortable once you start your paid job.
Speak to your university Careers Service about work experience opportunities, or how to go about approaching businesses. Also, ask around your networks if someone knows a business where you could work or, possibly, recommend you for work experience. The Australian Employers Network on Disability works with industry to provide opportunities for job seekers with disability. They also coordinate paid four-week work experience programs annually for final year Law and Commerce students during the university break. The programs are titled:
- Stepping into Banking
- Stepping into Law
- Stepping into Telstra.