Networking Forum

Hi Hannah, firstly congratulations on getting your Masters! I don't know if there is an Independent Living Centre which has an employment support person nearby you, I know our Niagara Centre for Independent living, has two gentlemen who share the duties in transitioning, talking to possible employers, getting those resumes and cover letters up to date but I expect you have all that all ready. I think the hardest thing especially in pr and marketing is convincing the directors you're able. You may need to build in the next little while a network of friends or colleagues and professors who know you and you're work and might be able to get you an in. Your university human resources or employment office for students might be able to help too. If you are between the ages of 18-30 look to youth services where at first you might be able to volunteer your pr and marketing skills to help them deisgn campaigns or any organization. I found most people hate doing pr and fundraising and marketting so go sit on a board, volunteer for an event and show em what you got girl! Good luck.

Oh if anyone is interested in building up their netowrk skills contact member services and ask about the networking 101 course beginning in May, you may learn some tips about building your own network that will be useful over the summer and into the fall. Liz

Your situation sounds all to familiar. Have you, per chance, sought out the Career Services Office of the school from which you obtained your degree? I know that some of these offices are less than perfect, but it can be a good resource if you can find an employee willing to assist. Sometimes the Alumni Office might be able to connect you with alumni in your field.

Good luck!

Hanneh,

Add my congratulations to your list! The volunteer work will be a great way to get additional experience and references to demonstrate your talents and a good work record.

Have you considered an on-line portfolio that employers can examine prior to setting up interviews? This can be made up from real-world work you've done, appropriate materials from internships, volunteer work, and even coursework. The career offices should have someone who can help you construct the webpages. Before and after examples of everything / anything from pamphlets to cold-call scripts, print ads to radio spots with an analysis supporting your recommendations would also demonstrate your facility at working with a variety of materials in a variety of formats in the workplace.

I've taught undergraduate technical (business and professional) writing for several years, and one thing business professionals I chatted with recommended was a proficiency with acrobat and other adobe programs. This can be a problem when using JAWS or other screenreaders since the documents must be constructed properly for JAWS to be able to read them. Most Information Technology offices on a campus will have tutorials and classes available for little or no cost. Your adaptive technology people should be able to help as well, though you might have to point out that you know adobe programs are difficult to work with -- but if that is what is standard, you've got to have a way of handling such materials in place, even if it means printing things, scanning them back into the computer in a format your computer can read, and then reprinting them through acrobat distiller or other programs to get them back into the standard before sending them out.

You might also indicate any abilities you have with other inter-office communication software in your portfolio -- everything from various inter-office memo programs to commonly used databases and document exchange programs -- in a bulleted list on the resume you send or on a more detailed resume you post on-line. To achieve what you have, you've had to be an excellent problem solver and comfortable working with materials in ways that a fully sighted person usually has no reason to know exist. But if you can point to your ability to handle whatever programs and materials are standard in the type of business you wish to work for, as well as in the field of marketing or P.R., you've a better chance of catching their attention as someone with a quick learning curve!

You can often find info on what programs are currently in use by a company by checking out corporate websites, searching for online documents and white papers, or by having the library order copies of company bulletins, yearly reports, stockholder reports, etc. Large companies frequently have their own in-house libraries that can be contacted for information as well; sometimes they'll share; sometimes their info will be private, but you can find out quite a bit by determining what companies are using to produce what you CAN get your hands on.

Good luck to you!

To give us more information about her situation, I contacted Hanneh and asked her four questions. Here are her responses to my query:

1. Can you give me a little more information about the difficulties you've faced in getting job interviews?

"The most difficult thing about interviews is the extreme difficulty in getting to the interview. Living in northern Bergen County I am stuck with no public transportation close by to use or even to use Accesslink. It also seems that everyone is looking for a particularly specific kind and amount of experience. No one is willing to give anyone a chance."

2. Specifically, what type of assistance in your job search are you seeking?

"I am seeking to network with professionals and employers who are looking to hire people with great potential and are willing to overlook a disability."

3. What is your "dream job?"

"I would like to be the public relations director for a Fortune 500 company or medical center. In the meantime, I realize that there steps that have to be taken to achieve that goal."

4. How would you summarize your education, skills and employment goals?

"I am working on my graduate school thesis in public relations/marketing. My skills are quite vast in public relations, marketing, sales, event planning and fund raising. I want a position that will grow into a career. I look to find a position in a company that I will find growth opportunity, a positive work environment and the ability to be creative.

"Thank you for your assistance and any information or leads you can provide."

Hanneh

Hello Hanneh, It's been quite a while since I've been where you are but...the answer to the first question Jim Hass posed struck me. You are legally blind and you've never let anything stop you! Super! If the real barrier is transportation, can you move to an area where public transit is more available? Large companies, (the kind you want to work in) need mobile people. As your network grows, and you mention that you have difficulty getting to interviews, think about how you would get to that dream job, literally, on your own in the location you are in at present. Education is wonderful...but so is the ability to educate yourself about getting around with ease so you can meet the public and demonstrate your marketing skills and creativity. YOU can make this happen because you can use that outgoing personality to do a little bartering, to get what you Need, which in turn, will get you what you want! Make sense?

Hello Hanneh, It's been quite a while since I've been where you are but...the answer to the first question Jim Hass posed struck me. You are legally blind and you've never let anything stop you! Super! If the real barrier is transportation, can you move to an area where public transit is more available? Large companies, (the kind you want to work in) need mobile people. As your network grows, and you mention that you have difficulty getting to interviews, think about how you would get to that dream job, literally, on your own in the location you are in at present. Education is wonderful...but so is the ability to educate yourself about getting around with ease so you can meet the public and demonstrate your marketing skills and creativity. YOU can make this happen because you can use that outgoing personality to do a little bartering, to get what you Need, which in turn, will get you what you want! Make sense?