January 29, 2008
Making an Apparent Barrier Irrelevant
In December, 2007, James J. Elekes, M.Ed, MPA, CPM, completed a five-year term as a Presidential Appointee/Public Member of the U.S. Access Board in Washington D.C. and was looking for a job.
Look at one of his job-interviewing experiences on this forum.
James now has a new position, which he says he “really enjoys.” Here is his account of one of his first duties on his new job:
“... One of my first assignments was to look over the crop of undergraduates applying for a spring internship and select four out of the 15 applicants.
“This would be a 24-hours-a-week commitment with significant field work visiting client sites to conduct 'barrier-free facility assessments.' In every case, I advised those to be interviewed to dress 'business casual,' provided them a copy of what constitutes 'business casual' for the organization and waited.
“(All the organization’s ‘field personnel’ are directed to dress 'business casual' because of the duties of their respective positions. While at the office, I'm a ‘suiter,’ but, for field appointments, I'm business casual as well.)
“Of the 15 candidates, 10 came in business suits, upscale dresses or inappropriate office wear (sneakers, flip flops, low-slung jeans etc). Immediately, it was a strike against them. If they can't follow simple instructions for the interview, how will they follow more complex instructions when doing a site assessment?
“The remaining group of five was my cadre from which to select the four interns. They paid attention to detail, asked clear and concise questions when appropriate, and they displayed confidence in themselves and their knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).
“In preparing for a job interview, they had taken the time to research our organization’s culture in terms of dress. They knew how to match the ‘uniform’ of our organization.
“Incidentally, I'm totally blind. You may wonder how I knew the dress of each candidate. Simple. I asked my secretary to make note of each candidate as each arrived. One of the observations to record: dress (whether it conformed to our organization’s ’business casual’ guidelines as well as hair style, jewelry and all the other factors that would make a first impression on a client).
“This may sound extreme, but, even as interns, they are our points of contact with specific clients. Their KSAs as well as how they present themselves need the culture of our organization.”
As a person with hiring authority, James gives us some insight about how dress and appearance can influence a job candidate’s chances in being chosen for a particular job.
But, what struck me as equally astute was his use of a “work around” in gaining a picture of each interviewee’s personal appearance, even though he’s totally blind.
You probably have used that same type of ingenuity that James has shown in finding your way around a new office, handling a mountain of reading material, filling out forms at work, managing people etc.
So, take a minute to share your special “how to” with your fellow eSight members.
How have you made an apparent barrier (due to your disability) irrelevant in your world of work?
Posted by Jim at 01:23 PM | Comments (10)