Road To Employment |
Previous | 1 of 4 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
|
This page
All
|
The Road to Employment
For
People with Disabilities
Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns
City of Oklahoma City
Office of Disability Concerns
Revised January 2011
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
INTRODUCTION In this modern day of high technology, satellites, ATMs, and the Information Highway, can you imagine looking for a job by doing the following? First, you would develop a card that encoded all the necessary information about you. This information would include your interests, hobbies, jobs you have held, all educational and/or technical schools attended, a listing of training programs you have attended including your major areas of study, awards and recognition you’ve received in school or in your community, a computerized analysis of your handwriting, the salary you earned on your last two jobs and a profile of the working environment you would like (e.g., working at a desk, traveling across country, meeting people and demonstrating a product or working at home, designing a bridge, a building or computer software, caring for children or administering to the elderly and those who are sick, working in a factory turning out a finished product daily, teaching fellow employees how to use a new piece of equipment or teaching them techniques for motivating employees they supervise, etc.) Now, imagine that this card is inserted into a machine that can instantly match your profile to the thousands of jobs in a data bank and determine exactly what jobs you qualify for and where those jobs can be found. This computerized genius would go one step further and tell you where the job openings are. You then choose a company that appeals to you and a quick phone call to that company would put you in touch with the Human Resources office. You would inform the Human Resources Coordinator that you fit the profile of the person they are looking for and that you’d like to start to work on Monday. Since you are a morning person, you’d choose the early shift. Within months you’d walk over to facsimile machine and pick up all the necessary information about the person who will be your supervisor. There will be a profile of this person and clear expectations he/she has for employees under his/her supervision. Along with that information is a cafeteria-style benefit package from which you will choose the benefits that best fit your needs. A schedule of planned orientations for new employees is attached. Step over to your computer and enter the company’s web site address and familiarize yourself with the company. All the paperwork that new employees fill out and will appear on your computer screen. After filling in all the necessary information, the paperwork is emailed back to the company. It is done! You have the perfect job with the hours you prefer, a benefit package just for you, and a supervisor that is compatible with your personality and working style. “WAIT A MINUTE,” you say. “It doesn’t work that way,” GUESS WHAT? . . . You’re right! This publication was developed to help you have a successful job search. There is a great deal of effort and energy expended in finding employment. If you are not making finding a job your number one priority, then employment will continue to be out of your grasp. The road to employment requires planning, goal setting, and positive action. Take a look at the proposed action steps you can take to insure employment. The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................I
SECTION 1. SELF-AWARENESS / SELF-ASSESSMENT ..........................................I
Self-Awareness/Self Assessment ..........................................................................................2-3
The Twelve Major Interest Areas .........................................................................................4
Getting Other People’s Help with Your Self-Assessment ....................................................5
Check Out Your Career Interests ..........................................................................................6
Interpretation of Scores .........................................................................................................7
Determining Your Job Skills ................................................................................................8-9-10
Education ..............................................................................................................................11
Other Skills ...........................................................................................................................12
Aptitude ...............................................................................................................................13
Create a Word Picture of Who You Are ...............................................................................14-15
Intelligence Test ....................................................................................................................16
Intelligence Test Results .......................................................................................................17
Notes ....................................................................................................................................18-19
SECTION II. PREPARATION ..........................................................................................II
Think About It ......................................................................................................................2
Literacy ................................................................................................................................3-4
Colleges and Universities Education and Training Sources .................................................5-6-7
Private Technical Training Schools ......................................................................................8-9-10-11
Notes ....................................................................................................................................11
SECTION III. MARKETING YOURSELF .....................................................................III
Marketing Yourself ...............................................................................................................2
Action Verbs to Help Describe Your Experience .................................................................3-4
Preparing Your Resume ........................................................................................................5
What is a resume? .................................................................................................................5
Information You Need as You Prepare Your Resume .........................................................6
Reverse Chronological Resume ............................................................................................7-8
Functional Resume ...............................................................................................................9-10
Writing a Cover Letter ..........................................................................................................11
Completing a Federal Application ........................................................................................12 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION III. MARKETING YOURSELF (continued)
Sample Federal Applications ................................................................................................12-14-15-16
Additional Job Experience ....................................................................................................17
OPM Application Hints ........................................................................................................18-19
Telephone Etiquette ..............................................................................................................20
Preparing for the Job Interview ............................................................................................21-22
How Do I Look? ...................................................................................................................23
Ten Ways to Fail a Job Interview .........................................................................................24-25
Conducting the Job Interview ...............................................................................................26-27
During and After the Interview .............................................................................................28
Writing an Interview Thank-You Letter ...............................................................................29
Evaluating Your Interview Performance ..............................................................................30
Interview Self-Appraisal Check List ....................................................................................31-32
Notes ....................................................................................................................................33-34
SECTION IV. JOB SEARCH ............................................................................................IV
Tips that Can Help With Your Job Search ...........................................................................2
Commonly Used Job Search Methods ..................................................................................3
Oklahoma Employment Offices ...........................................................................................4
Job Search Sites on the World Wide Web ............................................................................4
SECTION V. RECORD KEEPING ..................................................................................V
Record Keeping Format ........................................................................................................1-7
Notes ....................................................................................................................................8
SECTION VI. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ..........................................................VI
Essential Elements of an Effective Job Search .....................................................................2
Employment Programs and Resources for People with Disabilities ....................................3-4
Oklahoma Supported Employment Projects .........................................................................5-10
Ticket To Work and Self Sufficiency Program ....................................................................11-12
Resources for Employers Who Hire Individuals With Disabilities ......................................13
Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Laws ................................................................14-15
Examples of Reasonable Accommodations ..........................................................................16-17
Rights as an Individual with Handicaps ...............................................................................18
Notes ....................................................................................................................................19-20 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION VII. AFTER YOU ARE HIRED......................................................................VII
What Your Boss Wants You to Know ..................................................................................2
Getting a Promotion ..............................................................................................................3
Success in the 21st Century ..................................................................................................4
Notes ....................................................................................................................................5
SECTION VIII. WORK IN THE 21st CENTURY .........................................................VIII
Livelihood in the 21st Century .............................................................................................2-3
Notes ....................................................................................................................................4
SECTION IX. RESOURCES .............................................................................................IX
Resources ..............................................................................................................................2-3
Notes ....................................................................................................................................4
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Section I
SELF-AWARENESS
SELF-ASSESSMENT
KNOW THYSELF The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
SELF-AWARENESS/SELF ASSESSMENT
Knowing who you are makes looking for employment and finding satisfaction in the workplace easier. It is very important for you to take some time and analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Preliminary work in your job search requires solid, honest, self-assessment. Take a look at your interests, your skills and talents, your personal aspirations and your academic performance.
Maybe you are one of those fortunate individuals that have always known exactly what you wanted to do when you grew up. Perhaps you have been preparing for that career throughout your elementary and high school years. For example:
You knew very early that you had a deep love for animals. You were good in science and mathematics. You were very curious about animal care and you always asked lots of questions when you took your pet to the veterinarian. Pursuing this interest as a career would be a natural for you. Your interests and abilities come together to guide you toward a satisfying career.
What if your interests always led you to do outdoor activities? Going camping, studying trees, flowers, birds and growing a garden were some of your favorite pastimes. How could those interests lead to a career? Think of the many jobs you could do in wildlife, forestry, agriculture or horticulture.
You are happiest when you are around people and would never consider spending 8 hours each day sitting at a machine and only interacting with it, whether it’s a computer, telephone or a machine on an assembly line. You enjoy face-to-face contact with people and find something fascinating about everyone you meet. Could this interest lead you to a career?
Now, give some serious thought to the kinds of things you have always enjoyed. Start with the kinds of games you played as a child. Then think about things you like to do in your free time. It can be anything from fishing, backpacking, building model cars, making cookies, drawing sketches, watching television... the kinds of TV shows you watch tells something about your interests.
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-2The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
List ten things that you enjoy doing:
1. _____________________________________ 6. _________________________________
2. _____________________________________ 7. _________________________________
3. _____________________________________ 8. _________________________________
4. _____________________________________ 9. __________________________________
5. _____________________________________ 10. ________________________________
From the list above, choose the top five:
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Can you relate these five things that you enjoy doing most to the 12 major interest areas on the next page?
List your major area/areas of interest.
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
THE TWELVE MAJOR INTEREST AREAS
As you read through these 12 one-sentence characterizations, you may already feel drawn to one or more of these interest groups.
Artistic: Interest in creative expression of feelings or ideas.
Scientific: Interest in discovering, collecting and analyzing information about the natural world and in applying scientific findings to problems in medicine, life sciences, and natural sciences.
Plants and Animals: Interest in activities involving plants and animals, usually in an outdoors setting.
Protective: Interest in the use of authority to protect people and property.
Mechanical: Interest in applying mechanical principles to practical situations, using machines, hand tools, or techniques.
Industrial: Interest in repetitive, concrete, organized activities in a factory setting.
Business Detail: Interest in organized, clearly defined activities requiring accuracy and attention to detail; primarily in an office setting.
Selling: Interest in bringing others to a point of view through personal persuasion, using sales and promotion techniques.
Accommodating: Interest in catering to the wishes of others, usually on a one-on-one basis.
Humanitarian: Interest in helping others with their mental, spiritual, social, physical, or vocational needs.
Leading/Influencing: Interest in leading and influencing others through activities involving high-level verbal or numerical abilities.
Physical Performing: Interest in physical activities performed before an audience.
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-4The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
GETTING OTHER PEOPLE’S HELP WITH YOUR SELF-ASSESSMENT
This activity can be an eye-opener because it allows people who know you very well to give you positive feedback about the qualities they see in you. Ask four or five people who know you well, preferably family members, coworkers, and friends, to write down five or ten positive traits they observe in you. This is not an opportunity for those close to you to criticize.
Look at all of the statements and see if two or three of those traits show up in each person’s assessment. These would be your strongest traits.
EXAMPLE:
Susie asked her husband and her three teenage children to write down 5-10 positive statements about her.
Son #1 wrote: a cheerful, optimistic personality; good cook; understanding; Christian; loving; good sense of humor; intelligent; respected by peers.
Son #2 wrote: loving; friendly; kind; inspirational; diligent; strict; patient.
Her daughter wrote: a positive attitude; optimistic about the future; friendly; creative in expressing herself through quilting; sewing; growing plants and gardens; enterprising (can make something out of nothing); perceptive (able to read between the lines); enthusiastic; patient and understanding; talented in handling different personalities.
Her husband wrote: kind and understanding; intelligent; patient; attractive; a good conversationalist; congenial; well educated; compassionate.
In analyzing their statements, Susie saw that her family viewed her as kind and understanding, intelligent, patient and friendly. Each family member reported these traits. Susie can feel assured that other people will probably view her in the same way. These traits represent some of her strengths and she can look for a career that will allow her to use these traits in her work.
After you get your responses, record the 5 common traits that are reported by each person or the ones that are reported by two or more of the people who participated.
1. ________________________________________
2. ________________________________________
3. ________________________________________
4. ________________________________________
5. ________________________________________
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-5 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
CHECK OUT YOUR CAREER INTERESTS
Selecting a career...choosing a path for your future will be one of the most important decisions that you will ever make. To choose a career wisely, you will draw information from many sources, including your own interests.
This quick and easy checklist will help you identify activities that you enjoy, and will identify career fields in which those interests might help you.
Check those activities that you like doing. Don’t worry about whether or not you are good at any of them. This activity is measuring interest only, not abilities.
__ 1. Solve mathematics problems
__ 2. Develop a computer program
__ 3. Study animals
__ 4. Read science magazines
__ 5. Play strategy games
__ 6. Take children on outings
__ 7. Make arrangements on the phone
__ 8. Belong to social club
__ 9. Help sick people get well
__ 10. Help people solve their personal problems
__ 11. Do drawings and paintings
__ 12. Go to the theatre
__ 13. Listen to different music
__ 14. Take a dance class
__ 15. Redecorate your room
__ 16. Start your own business
__ 17. Study marketing
__ 18. Be a committee chairman
__ 19. Run for public office
__ 20. Play stock market
__ 21. Work with your hands
__ 22. Fix machinery
__ 23. Work outdoors
__ 24. Use physical coordination
__ 25. See tangible results of your work
__ 26. Have regular work hours
__ 27. Do basic bookkeeping
__ 28. Improve office efficiency
__ 29. Use office equipment
__ 30. Find ways to save a business money
To calculate your score, count the number of checks for:
Items: 1-5_____ 6-10 _____ 16-20 _____ 26-30 _____ See next page for results
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-6 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
INTERPRETATION OF SCORES
Items 1 through 5:
Count the check marks. If you have several, it indicates you have: theoretical/investigative” traits. Your interests include scientific activities, problem solving, investigation and research and working independently. Some examples of careers you might research are research scientist, computer technician, mathematician, and meteorologist.
Items 6 through 10:
Check marks on these items indicate that you have “social” traits. You enjoy people oriented activities, interaction with others and being of service to them. Possible careers include nursing, childcare, counselor, teacher, or fashion merchandising.
Items 11 through 15:
Did you check items in this group? If so you have indicated “aesthetic/artistic? Traits. You prefer activities that involve art, literature, music and dance. You have a need for self-expression and an appreciation for beauty. Possible careers: commercial artists, floral designer, fashion designer, journalist, or horticulturist.
Items 16 through 20:
Several check marks here indicate that you have “enterprising/economic/political” traits. You are interested in securing a position of leadership and power, working toward financial success, and participating in competitive activities that involve risk-taking. Possible occupations include entrepreneur, politician, and investment banker.
Items 21 through 25:
People who are “realistic and concrete” make several checks on these items. If that included you, you enjoy doing “hands on activities rather than engaging in heavy analysis: concrete problems as opposed to abstract ones. Mechanical, construction and repair activities hold your interest. Possible careers are carpenter, automotive mechanic, electronics, technician, plumber, motor control technician, and electrician.
Items 26 through 30:
If you have “conventional” traits you probable checked several of these items. Your interest includes working within an organizational structure in an activity that requires attention to detail and accuracy. Possible careers: secretary, accountant/bookkeeper, paralegal, computer information systems specialist, drafting, and graphic arts.
Note: Your interests may not fit neatly into one category. A mixture of two or three areas produces even more career possibilities. A career counselor can help you zero in on which career may suit your particular mixture of interests.
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-7The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
DETERMINING YOUR JOB SKILLS
Another important part of self-assessment and self-awareness is taking the time to analyze your skills and determine which ones can be used in the workplace. If you have worked before, then you need to take some time and list the skills that you used in doing that job. What if you don’t have any paid work experience? You may still have lots of skills. You may have “worked” on a hobby, or you may have “worked” as a homemaker, a student, or a volunteer in a family business. Many of these skills are transferable to the world of work.
TIPS FOR MAKING A BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE LIST:
All hobbies and daily activities require many skills, knowledge, and abilities.
List your hobbies, clubs, sports, church and school activities on the next page.
List the skills or talents used to perform each activity.
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:
Homemaking Ability to manage budget Ability to handle multiple tasks Ability to cook, clean, do the laundry, shop Skill in teaching, training others
Fixing Cars Skill in using different tools Ability to diagnose mechanical problems Ability to see difference in sizes and shapes Knowledge of electronics
Playing Basketball/Bowling Ability to interact with others Ability to follow rules Ability to do arithmetic (keeping score) Ability to reach, lift, jump, stoop and run Skill in directing others (calling plays, coaching)
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-8The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
HOBBIES
1.
2.
3.
SKILLS USED OR LEARNED
CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS
1.
2.
3.
SKILLS USED OR LEARNED
SPORTS
1.
2.
3.
SKILLS USED OR LEARNED
SCHOOL SUBJECTS (favorite)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
SKILLS USED OR SKILLS LEARNED
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-9The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
WORK HISTORY
If you have worked before, list your jobs. Include volunteer, part-time, summer and self-employment. Write down your work duties for each job listed. (See example below.)
Now, think about skills or talents it took to do each job duty. Write them down.
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE:
WORK DUTIES: SKILLS OR TALENTS
Cafeteria Food Service Worker:
Able to get along with customer and co-workers
Able to get requests correct
Able to assist with food preparation
Able to lift large pans of food
Able to work quickly
Painting Classrooms:
Able to paint skillfully
Able to prepare surface for painting
Able to clean up when finished
Able to stand for long periods
Park Maintenance:
Able to work outside for long periods
Able to use machinery and tools
Able to follow directions
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-10The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
EDUCATION
List the schools you attended, dates, major studies or courses completed. Include military, vocational education, adult education classes, seminars, and on-the-job training.
ATTENDED DATES MAJOR STUDIES / COURSES COMPLETED
(see categories above)
List degrees, certificates, awards and honors.
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-11 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
OTHER SKILLS
Take a look at some other skills that you might have used in a previous job, in school, or in your daily life.
Check one of the following that is a strong skill or yours.
Instructing Others:
Giving instructions on a new piece of equipment
Managing people
Meeting deadlines
Teaching a new skill
Planning and Developing teaching materials
Using Your Hands:
Assembling things
Building things
Constructing/repairing building
Operating tools
Driving/operating a vehicle
Using complex equipment
Negotiating:
Organizing/managing projects
Speaking in public
Writing information
Settling disputes
Dealing with Data:
Settling disputes
Analyzing data
Auditing records
Calculating/Computing
Classifying data
Doing research
Working With People
Administering to other’s needs
Caring for/comforting others
Counseling others
Interviewing
Mentoring others
Motivating people
Creative/Artistic
Drawing
Painting
Performing/acting
Presenting creative ideas
Leadership Skills
Arranging social functions
Explaining things to others
Delegating duties
Initiating new tasks
Taking risks
Self-confident
Self-motivated
Problem solver
Personality Traits
Outgoing
Competitive
Decisive
Patient
Persuasive
Pleasant
Sensitive
Sociable
Tolerant
Tough
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-12 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
APTITUDE
We’ve talked a good deal about interests, skills, jobs you’ve held, leisure time activities, and hobbies. Another critical piece of the puzzle that relates to career choice and employment success is aptitude. In planning your future career, you should consider industry trends, your own personality traits, your attitudes, values and interests. The most critical area to consider is your aptitude. Aptitude refers to those skills and talents that are innate and not necessarily based on what you’ve learned in school. For example, most reasonably intelligent people can learn the mechanics of music; however, those who become the most successful musicians are those who were born with an innate aptitude for music. You’ve probably noticed this about artists, mechanics, carpenters and people in many other fields.
Because we live in a highly technical society today, there is a high demand for individuals who have an aptitude for technology. To succeed in a high-tech field, an individual needs to have a high aptitude in three areas: logic, mechanical, and numerical. If you are interested in a high-tech field you will find a self-administered high-tech aptitude testing system in “Discover Your High-Tech Talents,” by Barry and Linda Gale. Most of the careers included in this book require a minimum of two years of college.
If you took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) military test while in high school, you should have gotten some ideas about you high aptitude areas. The General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) also gives you an individual an idea of high aptitude areas.
Most junior colleges and Vo-Tech Centers offer some type of career planning and assessment services. Some of these services are free to the public.
A visit to the Workforce Oklahoma Career Connection Center, 7401 NE 23rd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma can provide you with an opportunity to take various tests. One of the tests, Career Mappers, evaluates your ability to work with words, letters in series, and numbers in series, math skills and printed designs. It also includes a section of 110 multiple-choice questions that reveal personality, attitudes, and work ethics. The VALPAR is another test administered at the Career Connection Center that evaluates manual dexterity, and ability to use hand tools and simple machines. Another computerized test evaluates hand-eye-foot coordination, form, spatial and color perception. Other tests can give you an idea about your reading and math skills. When all tests are completed, the computer will give you a list of occupation titles that best suit your aptitude and ability.
The time that you spend doing a self-evaluation is one of the best ways to spend your time before you launch a serious job search, whether you are looking for employment for the first time or you are in the process of changing careers.
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-13 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
LET’S CREATE A WORD PICTURE OF WHO YOU ARE
You bring to an employer many facets of yourself. You may need to refer to the previous pages in order to complete the blanks below.
FILL IN THE FOLLOWING BLANKS TO GET A SELF-PORTRAIT:
I am interested in:
(Choose from the 12 major interest areas)
1.
2.
3.
4.
I have educational/training in the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I have the following skills/abilities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
I am viewed by others as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-14 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
My greatest assets are: (list as many as you like. Begin each statement with, I am.)
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
I need to improve:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
I will improve by: (how and when?)
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
The job of my dreams is:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Tell where?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Doing what?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Hours worked? ________________________________________________________________
Who would you work with? etc.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What are the reasons you can’t have the job of your dreams?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Are those reasons or excuses? _____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Remember, you are not your disability!
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-15 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
INTELLIGENCE TEST . . .
Read the following rules first:
1. COUNT OUT LOUD THE F’s IN THE TEST SENTENCE BELOW;
2. COUNT THE F’s ONLY ONCE, DO NOT GO BACK AND COUNT THEM AGAIN.
TEST SENTENCE:
FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULTS OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.
SEE THE NEXT PAGE FOR THE ANSWER:
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-16The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
INTELLIGENCE TEST RESULTS
Now, determine your IQ. There are 6 F’s in the sentence.
Persons with average intelligence find 3.
If you spotted 4, you are above average.
If you found 5, you can turn your nose up at most anyone.
If you found all 6 you are a genius.
To find the ones you missed, look for the word “of.”
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-17The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
NOTES
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-18The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
NOTES
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-19 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Section II
PREPARATION
THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP.”
--Lao Tzu
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
THINK ABOUT IT . . .
The following suggestions are offered to people who are initially embarking upon a career or profession in any human endeavor. These suggestions are based on several assumptions. Unless you are motivated by these few basic assumptions, some of these suggestions may not work for you.
Assumptions
*You want to develop yourself into a productive, positive citizen.
* You want to leave the world better than you found it.
* You want to do things that prolong life, not things that lead to death.
Suggestions
1. Develop some sense of a spiritual life.
2. Read voraciously.
3. Develop skills to communicate well.
4. Learn to use the tools of technology, e.g., computers, fax machines, Internet, etc.
5. Identify a mentor you can trust.
6. Eat well and exercise.
7. Educate yourself.
8. Don’t be intimidated by anyone or anything.
Remember
1. Don’t judge your whole life by your first job.
2. Find something you like to do and make it pay.
3. Always be ready to change. (Don’t get comfortable.)
4. Never say, “It can’t be done.”
5. Take control of your own life and career (with the support of others).
II- Preparation II-2 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
LITERACY
“ILLITERACY IS ONE OF THE BEST-KEPT SECRETS IN THE COUNTRY,” states the brochure for the Oklahoma City Literacy Council. This brochure further states that one out of five Oklahomans can’t read. Business and government leaders are aware there is a tremendous illiteracy problem in Oklahoma and throughout the United States. Functional illiteracy is defined as the inability of an adult to read at a 6th grade level.
Non-readers are hampered in their daily life because they are:
Unable to fill out job applications adequately
Unable to read employees’ training manuals
Unable to receive promotions that require reading and writing skills
Unable to adequately handle their own personal business
Unable to read letters, directions, recipes, ballots, prescription labels, etc.
The good news is . . . There are a variety of resources for Literacy Training:
Oklahoma City Literacy Council
131 Dean A McGee Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405-232-3780
Contact Person: Millon Lamb
Individualized tutoring is provided by volunteers who work in local public libraries in the Oklahoma City area.
Project R.E.A.D.
27 SE 15th
Edmond, OK 73034
405-348-7323
Midwest City Literacy Link
8143 E. Reno
Midwest City, OK 73110
405-732-2737
II-Preparation II-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Moore Literacy Council, Moore Library
225 South Howard
Moore, OK 73160
405-701-2683
Contact Person: Carla Kennedy
Resources for Literacy Training (continued)
Norman Literacy Council, Norman Library
225 N. Webster
Norman, OK 73069
405-701-2683
Contact Person: Carla Kennedy
Community Literacy Centers, Inc. This center has staff trained to serve
3707 S Blackwelder individuals who have a severe learning
Oklahoma City, OK 73119 disability.
405-524-7323
Contact Person: Becky O’Dell
II-Preparation II-4The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
EDUCATION AND TRAINING SOURCES
After identifying and assessing your employment skills and aptitudes, you will need to identify what education, training and other skills are needed to be successful in working in careers that match your employment goals, interest and aptitude.
Preparation for employment is as important as deciding what career path to choose. The following list of colleges, vo-tech schools, private and trade schools will assist you in locating the source for the education/training that is required.
The listing of “Degrees Offered” which follows the addresses below, is not all-inclusive. You may want to contact each educational institution listed below for a complete listing and description of the degrees and majors offered.
List of Colleges, Vo-Tech Schools, Private and Trade Schools
List of Colleges, Vo-Tech Schools, Private and Trade Schools
Bartlesville Wesleyan College
2201 Silver Lake Road
Bartlesville, OK 74006
918-335-6200 or 800-468-6292
Cameron University
2800 Gore Blvd
Lawton, OK 73505
580-581-2200
East Central University
1100 E 14th
Ada, OK 74820
580-332-8000
Langston University
P.O. Box 730
Langston, OK 73050
405-466-2231
Mid-America Christian University
3500 SW 119th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73170
405-691-3800
Northeastern State University
600 N Grand Ave
Tahlequah, OK 74464-5511
918-456-5511 or 800-722-9614
Northwestern State University
709 Oklahoma Blvd
Alva, OK 73717
580-227-1700
Oklahoma Baptist University
500 W. University
Shawnee, OK 74804
405-275-2850 or 800-654-3785
Oklahoma Christian University
P.O. Box 11000
Oklahoma City, OK 73136
405-425-5000 or 800-877-5010
Oklahoma City University
2501 N. Blackwelder
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
405-208-5000
II-Preparation II-5 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
List of Colleges, Vo-Tech Schools, Private and Trade Schools continued
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Box 430
Goodwell, OK 73939
580-349-2611, ext. 374
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
405-744-5000
Southern Nazarene University
6729 NW 39th Expressway
Bethany, OK 73008
405-789-6400
Southwestern College of Christian Ministries
7210 NW 39th Expressway
Bethany, OK 73008
405-772-6611
Southwestern OK State University
100 Campus Dr
Weatherford, OK 73096
580-772-6611
University of Oklahoma
1000 Asp Ave, Rm 127
Norman, OK 73019
405-325-2252
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
1000 Stanton L. Young Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
405-271-4000
University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma
1727 W Alabama
Chickasha, OK 73018
405-224-3140
University of Tulsa
600 S. College
Tulsa, OK 74104
918-631-2000
II-Preparation II-6The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
COLLEGE - UNIVERSITY
DEGREES
OFFERED
Accounting
Agri. Ed./Science
Art Education
Biology
Business Admin.
Chemistry
Communications
Computer Science
Comp./Mgt. Info. Syst.
Criminal Justice
Dentistry (Pre)
Education
Elec. Engr. Technology
Engineering
English
Finance
History
Home Economics
Humanities
Journalism
Marketing
Mathematics
Music
Nursing
Pharmacy
Physical Education
Physical Therapy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Speech 4-YEAR SCHOOLS
Bartlesville Wesleyan College
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cameron University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
East Central University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Langston University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Mid-America Bible College
X
X
X
X
Northeastern State University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Northwestern State University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Oklahoma Baptist University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
OK Christian Univ. of Science & Arts
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Oklahoma City University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
OK Panhandle State University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Oklahoma State University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Oral Roberts University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Phillips University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Southeastern OK State University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Southern Nazarene University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
SW College of Christian Ministries
X
Southwestern OK State University
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
University of Central Oklahoma
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
University of Oklahoma
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Univ. of OK Health Science Center
X
X
X
Univ. of Sci. & Arts of Oklahoma
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
University of Tulsa
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
2-YEAR SCHOOLS
OKC Community College
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Oklahoma State Univ. - OKC
X
X
X
X
X
X
Rose State College
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
II-Preparation II-7 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
PRIVATE TECHNICAL TRAINING SCHOOLS
American Broadcasting School 4511 SE 29th
Oklahoma City, OK 73115
Phone: 672-6511
Number of Students: Varies
Tuition: $10,125
Class Start Dates: Every week
Length of Training: 43 weeks
Schedule of Classes: full time and evenings
Training Offered: Radio broadcasting
Email: admissions@radioschool.com
The Andrews School
5601 NW 72nd, Ste 167
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
Phone: 721-3555
Number of Students: Varies
Tuition: $3,800
Class Start Dates: Open
Length of Training: 9-12 months
Schedule of Classes: distance learning from home
Training Offered: Medical transcription, medical administrative assistant, medical coding
Linda@andrewsschool.com
Charles Barnes School of Real Estate 300 NW 27th St
Moore, OK 73160
Phone: 405-378-2100
Number of Students: 40
Tuition: Real Estate - $495; Appraisal - $795
Class Start Dates: Monthly
Length of Training: Real Estate - 90 hours; Real Estate Appraisal - 75 hours
Class Schedule: Part time and evenings
Training Offered: Real Estate Broker License, Real Estate Appraisal and Real Estate Sales, home inspection
homestudy@charlesbarnes.com
Oklahoma School of Bartenders
2800 NW 36th, ste 100
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Phone: 947-5678
Number of Students: varies
Tuition: $695
Class Start Dates: Weekly
Length of Training: 40 hours
Class Schedule: Full time, part-time and evenings
Training Offered: Professional Bartending
Roger Despain School of Real Estate
401 N. Meridian
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
Phone: 947-4448
Number of Students: Varies
Tuition: $210 to $675
Class Start Dates: Monthly
Length of Training: 15 hours to 90 hours
Class Schedule: Full time and part time
Training Offered: Pre-license, post license class, real estate broker class, real estate appraisal class, home inspection training.
Oklahoma Technology Institute
9801 Broadway Extension
Oklahoma City, OK 73114
Phone: 842-9400
Number of Students: varies
Tuition: $175- $7,495
Class Start Dates: Varies
Length of Training: 2 ½ weeks - 6 months
Class Schedule: Full time, part time and evenings
Training Offered: Microsoft Office skills, keyboarding skills, Internet, medical coding and billing, pc software applications
II-Preparation II-8 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
PRIVATE TECHNICAL TRAINING SCHOOLS (CONTINUED)
Guthrie Job Corps
3106 W University
Guthrie, OK 73044
Phone: 800-733-5627
Number of Students: 650
Tuition and Fees: Free
Class Start Dates: Open
Length of Training: Up to 2 years
Class Schedule: full time, residential dormitory setting. Training Offered: GED, culinary arts, welding, protection safety and investigations, facility maintenance, carpentry, plumbing, business office technology, plumbing, electrical house wiring, computer technician, business technology, health occupations
ATI Career Training Center
2401 NW 23rd, Ste 14
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
Phone: 800-209-8264
Training offered: Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant, Business Administration Technology, and Network Administrtaion.
Platt College 2727 W Memorial
Oklahoma City, OK 73134
Phone: 749-2433
Number of Students: 300
Tuition: $7,110 - $13,345
Class Start Dates: Varies
Length of Training: 32 weeks - 50 weeks
Class Schedule: Full time and evenings
Training Offered: Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, Surgical, Nursing, Massage, Restaurant Management, Culinary, Transcription
Wright Business School
2219 W I-240 Service Rd, Ste 124
Oklahoma City, OK 73159
Phone: 681-2300
Number of Students: 350
Tuition: $9,500 to $12,000
Class Start Dates: random
Length of Training: varies
Class Schedule: Full time, part time, evenings
Training Offered: Accounting, secretarial, clerical and medical administrative assistant, information management
II-Preparation II-9The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
CAREER-TECH SCHOOL
CAREER
AREAS
A/C Refrigeration
Accounting Services
Administrative Services
Air Frame / Power Plant
Art
Auto Collision / Service
Aviation (General)
Aviation Maint. Technology
Bldg. / Grounds Maintenance
Brick Masonry
Business / Computer Tech.
Carpentry
Child Care
Clothing Prod. Management
Cosmetology
Dental / Med. Assisting
Drafting
Electricity
Electronics
Floral Design
Food Management
Hospitality
Management Dev.
Physical Therapy Assistant
Plumbing
Practical Nurse
Printing
Radiologic Technology
Respiratory Tech.
Surgical Technology
Systems Management Srvs.
Welding
Eastern OK County
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Francis Tuttle
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Metro-Aviation
X
X
X
X
Metro-Sage
X
X
X
X
Metro-So. Bryant
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Metro-Springlake
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Mid-Del
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Moore-Norman
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
ADDRESSES OF CAREER-TECH SCHOOLS
OKEastern Oklahoma County
4601 N. Choctaw Road
Choctaw, OK 73020-9017
(405) 390-9591
Metro-Tech Aviation Center
5600 S. MacArthur
OKC, OK 73179-8205
(405) 685-0008
Metro-Tech S. Bryant
4901 S. Bryant
OKC, OK 73129-8801
(405) 605-2201
Mid-Del
1621 Maple Dr.
MWC, OK 73110-4825
(405) 739-1707
Francis Tuttle
12777 N. Rockwell
OKC, OK 73142-2789
(405) 717-4900
Metro-Tech Sage ( Adult Continuing Education)
201 N.E. 48th Street
OKC, OK 73105-3312
(405) 424-8324
Metro-Tech Springlake
1900 Springlake Dr.
OKC, OK 73111-5133
(405) 424-8324
* Visual and hearing impaired
Moore-Norman
4701 12th Street
Norman, OK 73069-8399
(405) 364-5763
II-Preparation II-10The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
NOTES
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
II-Preparation II-11 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
II-Preparation II-12
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
SECTION III
MARKETING YOURSELF
YOU ARE THE PRODUCT……………YOU ARE THE SALESPERSON
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
MARKETING YOURSELF
Preparation is the key to marketing yourself in today’s employment market. You should make getting a job as your priority and you should develop a plan. Without a plan, you will eventually end up somewhere, but not necessarily at your destination. Today’s job search can be complicated because we are emerging from a period of lower employee turnover, increased number of highly motivated and well-prepared job seekers, and more employees in a state of transition.
Your plan can provide you with the structure for control and your plan will come in handy when you are faced with rejection. A young man we know mailed to various firms more than 350 resumes and cover letters that only produced 3 job leads. It’s impossible not to feel the effects of rejection and frustration when you are turned down again and again. UNEMPLOYMENT LEAVES YOU OPEN FOR MANY NEGATIVE FEELINGS. UNEMPLOYMENT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED AS AN OPPORTUNITY; an opportunity to devote yourself full-time to your job marketing campaign.
Rejection may also leave you frustrated and convinced that you have little to offer an employer. Don’t believe it! Your feelings are natural and normal, but don’t take yourself or the rejection too seriously. A systematic step-by-step marketing campaign, objectively and actively pursued, will see you through.
Linda Haneborg, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Express Personnel Services said, “The process of evaluating an applicant begins from the moment of first contact, whether it be a telephone call, a resume or a personal meeting.” She further states that, “one of the most important rules to follow in developing a resume is to be succinct.” Keeping your resume short is imperative. Interviewers generally don’t have lots of time to read a long resume. “Resumes should never be more than two pages and should be kept to one page if possible,” says Linda.
Bette Scott, associate director of Career Services at the University of Oklahoma agreed with Linda Haneborg. She states, “An employer usually spends about 30 seconds looking at a resume.” Those 30 seconds will determine if the resume goes in the trash or stays on the desk.”
III-Marketing Yourself III-2The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
SOME ACTION VERBS TO HELP YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE
Describe your experience in simple language using strong verbs. The following list may be helpful. These and certain “inside words” are sometimes called “buzz words” because they trigger a favorable response from knowledgeable examiners.
DECISION MAKING AUDITING ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL
Accept
Analyze
Administer
Appraise
Approve
Assemble
Engage
Discharge
Authorize
Assist
Furnish
Employ
Consider
Changed
Justify
Interview
Decide
Compare
Procure
Promote
Render
Conclude
Purchase
Recruit
Require
Evaluate
Reject
Screen
Solve
Guide
Requisition
Seek
Terminate
Recommend
Secure
Select
Test
Report
Ship
Train
Review
Store
Transfer
Supply
MANAGEMENT SUPERVISION PLANNING AND CONTROL HELPING
Adjudicate
Adhere
Acquire
Arrange
Analyze
Assess
Allocate
Assist
Anticipate
Assign
Assume
Contribute
Approve
Counsel
Control
Counsel
Change
Define
Extend
Give
Establish
Delegate
Forecast
Guide
Evaluate
Demonstrate
Formulate
Initiate
Execute
Develop
Monitor
Serve
Manage
Encourage
Plan
Solve
Meet
Exercise
Progress
Organize
Foster
Schedule
Plan
Maintain
Meet
Participate
Report
Request
Supervise
III-Marketing Yourself III-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
SOME ACTION VERBS TO HELP YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE (continued)
CLERICAL COMMUNICATION EXTERNAL ACTIVITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Arrange
Contact
Cooperate
Analyze
Catalogue
Critique
Coordinate
Define
Collaborate
Declare
Negotiate
Determine
Compile
Display
Publicize
Develop
Generate
Inform
Represent
Evaluate
Organize
Interpret
Strengthen
Identify
Process
Issue
Investigate
Speak
Prepare
Testify
Propose
Write
Recommend
Research
III-Marketing Yourself III-4The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
PREPARING YOUR RESUME
What is a resume?
A resume is a self-advertisement. It is a tidy, enticing advertisement of you, and it must pass the flash test. The flash test is the 30 or 40 seconds that the reader gives the resume before tossing it into the nearest trash can. If you doubt this, consider the fact that large companies receive over 200,000 resumes in a year, even small companies get a dozen or more each week. TO PASS THE “FLASH TEST,” YOUR RESUME MUST STAND OUT FROM THE REST.
How you present yourself on paper is indicative, in the minds of employers, of how you present yourself to the world. Are you careful or sloppy, clear or disorganized, verbose or succinct? And, most important of all, are you oriented toward results? After all, results are what employers care about. What you did is not as important as what you accomplished.
Do You Need A Resume?
The first question to ask yourself as you get ready to start your job search is whether or not you need a resume. The answer to that question depends on the kind of job you are applying for.
For Example:
Resume required: Professional, Technical, Administrative and Managerial jobs, Sales positions, Secretarial, Clerical, and other Office jobs.
Resume sometimes required: Skilled jobs (e.g., Baker, Hotel Clerk, Electrician, Drafter, Welder); Semi-skilled jobs (e.g., Security Guard, Electronic Assembler, Janitor, etc.)
Resume usually not required: Unskilled, quick turnover jobs (e.g., fast food servers, laborers, machine loaders, cannery workers, etc.)
III-Marketing Yourself III-5The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Information You Will Need As You Prepare Your Resume
1. Self-Information. You need to know your job talents, work history, education and career goals. If you have completed the Self-Awareness/Self Assessment section you should have the self-information required to prepare your resume
2. Job information. Gather information about the job for which you are applying. You should know what the job duties are in order to match your skills to the skills needed for the job. The job duties are found in the job announcement. If the job announcement or ad is vague, call the employer and ask for a description of job duties. You need to know how much education and experience are required in order to match your education and experience with what is required for the job. You also need to know the salary range, the hours and shifts usually worked.
Tips for Developing a Resume That Employers Will Read and Keep:
Each job you apply for deserves a fresh, custom-made resume which communicates a perfect fit between your qualifications and those needed for the job for which you are applying.
Type your resume (or print it on a computer printer). Use 8 1/2" x 11" quality bond white or tinted paper. Center and justify all headings. Do not use bold or bright colored paper.
Do not include irrelevant personal information (age, weight, height, marital status, disability, or status of health).
Do not include salary and wages received in previous job.
Be positive. Point out your accomplishments.
�� Use action verbs (see list of action verbs)
Be specific. Use concise sentences. Keep it short. One page is best
.
Make sure your resume "looks good" (neat and readable).
Proofread the master copy carefully. Ask someone with good reading and writing skills to proofread it carefully.
Inspect photocopies for clarity, smudges and marks.
III-Marketing Yourself III-6The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Take a Look at the Two Types of Resumes:
1. REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMES list jobs you have had. Your most recent job is listed first, your job before that is listed second, and so on. List the employment dates and job duties for each job.
2. FUNCTIONAL RESUMES describe your skills, abilities and accomplishments that relate to the job for which you are applying. Employment history is provided in less detail than chronological resumes.
Tips for Preparing A Reverse Chronological Resume:
List your jobs, starting with your present or most recent job. Give exact year for each job.
Briefly describe the main duties you performed.
Emphasize duties that are important for the job for which you are applying.
Use simple, short, active sentences. (Refer to the list of action verbs.)
Questions to ask yourself:
Have you progressed up a clearly defined career ladder and are you looking for job advancement?
Do you have recent job experience at one or more companies?
If your answer is YES to either question, use the Reverse Chronological Resume.
III-Marketing Yourself III-7 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Reverse Chronological Resume
Marilyn James 1499 E. Delaware Norman, Oklahoma 73069 (405) 364-3756 Objective: To obtain a position as an Administrative Assistant in a Personnel Office. Experience: 1990 to Present Personal Secretary, Dolese Corporation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Secretary to the Personnel Director. Duties include taking dictation, word processing and scheduling meetings, and setting up interviews, distributing job announcements. 1984-1990 Secretary, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One of 25 word processors in the legal department. Duties included entering correspondence and forms on the word processor, proofreading legal documents and processing the mail. 1979-1984 Clerk Typist, Oklahoma City Public Schools, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Duties included typing forms, processing mail, establishing and maintaining filing system. 1976-1979 Receptionist, J.W. Miller, D.D.S. Norman, Oklahoma. Duties included answering the telephone, scheduling appointments, greeting patients and processing billings. Skills: Dictation Word-processing Typing Good organizational skills and effective people skills Education: Wayne High School, Wayne, Oklahoma. High school diploma and certificate from Mid-America Vocational Technical School with emphasis in business education 1975. Member, Norman Rotary Club Secretary, Norman Business and Professional Women's Club Professional Secretary Certificate 1980 References available upon request.
III-Marketing Yourself III-8
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Tips for Preparing a Functional Resume:
Study the duties for the job for which you are applying. Identify two or three general skills that are important to the job.
Review your background and experience list prepared previously. Find talents and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to perform the job skills
List your talents and accomplishments under the related job skills.
Use simple, short, active sentences.
Questions to ask you:
Are you a displaced homemaker?
Are you a veteran and want to relate your military training to a civilian job?
Do you have little or no paid work experience?
Do you have gaps in your work history?
Is the job you are applying for different from your present or recent job?
Do you want to emphasize your work skills and accomplishments instead of describing your job duties?
If the answer to any of those questions is YES, use the Functional Resume.
III-Marketing Yourself III-9 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Functional Resume
Tom Johnson 3425 Northeast Belaire Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111 (405) 236-7697 Program Director Developed annual budget of over $500,000. Designed and implemented employee salary and performance reviews. Supervised staff. Negotiated new lease. Handled construction and decorating details in new office space and all aspects of relocation. Fund Raising Developed and implemented major programs. Wrote and presented grant proposals to major corporation. Hosted corporate grant administrators. Raised a total of $550,000. Public Relations Authored public service announcements and news releases. Appeared frequently on television and radio programs. Arranged and participated in photo sessions with public figures and media personalities. Coordinated media for major fundraising events. Consultant Consulted to state and federal legislators and agency directors on rehabilitation and mental health issues. Convention Meeting and Planning Fifteen years' experience negotiating hotel rates and making meeting and convention arrangements for groups of 10 to 3,000 on behalf of a major national organization. Employment History 1984-Present Assistant Director, Oklahoma County Mental Health Association, Oklahoma City Oklahoma. 1969-1983 Rehabilitation Specialist, Veterans Administration, Muskogee, Oklahoma. 1965-1967 Instructor, Honors English, Del City High School, Del City, Oklahoma. Education 1965 B.A., University of Oklahoma References available upon request.
III-Marketing Yourself III-10The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
WRITING A COVER LETTER
The goal of your cover letter is to give your reader enough information to interest him or her in looking at your resume, but not so much that the reader is overwhelmed.
Address your letter to a person. Research the company to determine to whom you should address your letter. Often the head of the department where you want to work, is the best person to contact.
1130 W. 92nd Street
New York, New York 11002
October 19, 1997
Mr. David Copperfield, Manager
Marketing Division
Hampton Corporation
1212 East Place
Philadelphia, PA 20012
Dear Mr. Copperfield:
In paragraph #1, state the position you are applying for and how you heard about the position or the organization. Also, if you are referred by someone, be sure to identify the person that referred you.
In paragraph #2, give a concise overview of your work history and the skills you have that will help you perform the job. Refer the reader to your enclosed resume.
In paragraph #3, state your confidence in your abilities and give information on how you can be contacted.
This letter is in response to your advertisement for an Office Manager, which appeared in the August issue of the Washington Post. I would like to apply for this position.
I graduated from Haughton Business School in May 1994. I have been working with Barnes and Noble as an Administrative Assistant since July 1994. Since May 1995, I have served as the acting Administrative Officer in her absence. I have great communication, time management and organizational skills. Also, I am proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, and Windows 95. I have enclosed my resume for additional information.
Because of my past experience and skills, I feel I would be an asset to your organization. I would like to have the opportunity to meet with you personally to discuss your requirements for this position. If you have any questions, you may contact me at (203) 555-1111, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and at (203) 555-2222, after 5 p.m. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Karen J. Marshall
Enclosure
III-Marketing Yourself III-11 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
COMPLETING A FEDERAL APPLICATION
DO's
DON'Ts
Read carefully the vacancy announcement for the position for which you are applying. Underline the skills required by the position.
Don't use the same application for jobs in non-related fields. Don't exaggerate.
Use active verbs to describe what work you actually did. Be specific. Use the first person "I."
Don't ever use position descriptions.
Include all experience, whether paid or volunteer. Arrange your experience in chronological order. (Starting with present and going backward.)
Don't omit church, community, or club work.
Attach a DD-214, if you have military service.
Don't forget to include licenses, i.e., Registered Nurse, Teacher, etc.
Have your application neatly typed or written so that each word is legible and all blocks are completed.
Don't use general character references - they usually won't commit themselves on such matters as dependability, initiative, etc.
If your application is reproduced, be sure every page is easily readable. Make certain the application is in the correct order, signed, and dated. Keep your original as a master copy.
Don't submit an application that is messy, hard to read, or confusing to follow.
Mention suggestions, performance and other awards including those received from church, clubs, and other organizations. State the date award was received.
Don't make your application a "challenge" to the reader. Hard-to-read applications go in the "Out" pile first.
Attach a transcript if you have college education that qualifies for the job. Be sure to include your GPA.
Don't attach extraneous material such as job descriptions, resumes, letters of appreciation, pictures, certificates of training, etc.
III-Marketing Yourself III-12 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Sample Federal Applications
III-Marketing Yourself III-13The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Sample Federal Applications continued
III-Marketing Yourself III-14The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Sample Federal Applications continued
III-Marketing Yourself III-15 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Sample Federal Applications continued
III-Marketing Yourself III-16The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Sample Federal Applications continued
III-Marketing Yourself III-17The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
OPM APPLICATION HINTS
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Jim Thorpe Building, Room B-22
2101 N. Lincoln Blvd.
State Capitol Complex
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Telephone: 521-2177
APPLICATION HINTS
We hope that the information listed in our publication "How Jobs Are Filled in the Competitive State Service" will answer most of the questions you may have about applying for state employment. However, we understand that you may also have questions about completing the application to ensure that you get full credit when our staff reviews it. To help you we offer the following suggestions:
Hint 1 - Carefully read the instructions at the top of the application
It is very important that you correctly show your social security number and mailing address. Any mistakes on your basic applicant data may slow down the processing of your application and hinder your chances for employment. Please also note that you must complete an additional form (OPM-75) if you wish to claim veteran's preference.
Hint 2 - Find out the specific job title
If you know about a vacancy for an Administrative Technician II in your community and you write "Secretarial" as the job title for which you're applying, chances are very good your name will not get on the correct job register for consideration. Since many state jobs are in "series," for example: Administrative Technician I, II, and III, you need to only fill out one application for Administrative Technician. You will be evaluated for all levels.. Also, be aware that many jobs have working titles that may differ from their official merit system title. A "lake patrolman," for example, is officially a Water Safety Enforcement Officer, a "boiler operator" is a Physical Plant Operator I and an "over the road truck driver" is a Senior Equipment Operator. Our staff should be able to help you find the correct merit system title if you're not sure.
Hint 3 - Check the requirements listed on the job description
Your application must show that you meet the minimum qualifications as stated under the "Education and Experience" section of each job description. Some jobs will also require a specialized license or certificate, for example, an Oklahoma Teacher's Certificate or a Red Cross Advanced Life Saving Certificate, etc. You must attach photocopies of your certificate when one is required for the job. Many applicants also find it helpful to attach a photocopy of academic transcripts, although this is not an absolute requirement for further processing of your application.
OPM-105 (4-88)
III-Marketing Yourself III-18
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
OPM Application Hints continued
Hint 4 - List all relevant employment
We understand that you may have more than the periods of employment which our application provides space for you to list. Please use extra sheets of paper, if necessary, to list all periods of employment which may relate to the job for which you are applying. When you do submit attachments, be sure to use the same format as that found on our application, i.e., include the month and year you started and ended each job and the average hours worked per week. Describe your major work duties clearly, but briefly, avoiding vague terms and jargon in describing your work. Be sure to treat each promotion or transfer which involved a change in work duties as a separate period of employment, even if they were with the same employer.
Good Example:
Employer's Name: Bitco Industries Dates employed:
3/74--5/81
Hrs per wk: 40
Title: Officer Manager
Supervisor: Mr.Simon Pure, Controller
Job Duties: Responsible for day-to-day management of four person office. Maintained all accounts payable and accounts receivable. Answered routine correspondence, scheduled work assignments, processed work orders, purchased all office supplies and conducted quarterly inventory. Supervised a file clerk, deliveryman and receptionist.
Bad Example #1:
Employer's Name: Bitco Industries 1974-1981
Job Duties: I ran the office.
Bad Example #2:
Employer's Name: Bitco Industries 1974-1981
Hrs. per wk: varied
Job Duties: Bitco manufactures P9B Veeblefitzers which are distributed throughout the nation. I checked each L27 for its RAD number, and then forwarded to District HQ. Also developed SPAS telemarketing SOP.
Hint 5 - Use of resumes
Generally speaking, employment resumes are a useful tool for highlighting an applicant's background at a glance. Unfortunately, most resumes do not provide enough detailed information to allow us to assess your qualifications accurately. We strongly encourage you to use attachments in the format described above rather than rely upon a resume which may have been developed for a different purpose.
III-Marketing Yourself III-19The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE
When a prospective employer calls you to schedule that all important job interview what is he or she going to hear? "Hello?...Hold on a minute, I can't hear you! Sam turn that blasted TV down will you?...There, that's better. Now, who did you say this is?" Or, "Hello!...Who? Oh, yeah! You're the guy I needed to see about the job. Okay, when can I come in?" Maybe no one's home and the employer gets the answering machine: "Hello? Hello? Hello?... Fooled ya, didn't I! As you may have noticed no one is home so leave your name and number and we'll call you back."
All of these examples create a poor first impression, which goes to show you that the first impression isn't always made in person. Actually your resume or application should have created a first impression, but the initial conversation is certainly more memorable for the employer. It gives him or her a "sound picture" of who you are.
People tend to mentally create a face and personality to go with the voice they hear. Dialect, accent, and grammar contribute heavily to the mental image. For example, when you answer your phone and the caller says, "Hey! How ya doin'? Bernice and me ain't seen you in a coon's age! How's the little 'uns?" Do you picture a country fellow? Creating sound pictures is a natural response to anyone who answers a telephone. So, what does your sound picture convey to the listener when you call?
Call your answering machine and leave a message, or use a tape recorded to tape a message. What does your tone of voice bring to mind? Someone who's impatient? Cheerful? Disgruntled? How is your grammar? Did you use proper sentences in your speech of lots of uncomfortable fits and starts like, "Um, yeah this is John. Uh, I'm calling myself Well, I uh, need to hear myself on the phone."
When a prospective employer calls, he or she wants to hear someone who is polite, competent, and pleasant sounding, especially if the job requires telephone-answering skills. Try to answer with a mild "Hello." Try to set aside any irritation or stress you may be feeling before picking up the receiver. Emotions are easily recognized by the listener.
Many people smile before they pick up the telephone and dial. Smiling while you speak is an old sales ploy. The smile comes across your face, if you can believe it. You probably hear smiles everyday.
Telephone etiquette is an essential part of the job-search process, but it is commonly overlooked. Answering the phone is such a subconscious, thoughtless task that no one really thinks anything of it. Be warned that a prospective employer is going to notice, so that first verbal impression needs to be as well planned, proper and particular as the one-page resume you labored over for hours. Remember, this is your first verbal impression, and as the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
III-Marketing Yourself III-20The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
PREPARING FOR THE JOB INTERVIEW
Many well-qualified job seekers, including college graduates are petrified by the prospect of interviewing. The solution isn't a personality change. Instead, shy job seekers need to discover ways to get noticed and become comfortable with employers prior to interviewing. Following are suggestions on how to prepare for the interview despite shyness or timidity:
1. Talk mainly with people you like. The thought of arranging networking meetings and information interviews with working professionals probably scares you because it means calling people out of the blue. You could begin with friends, family members and neighbors and ask them to introduce you to prospective employers.
2. Seek out volunteer work. Volunteering may seem like free labor, but it is actually the best-kept secret of successful job hunting. By volunteering you can demonstrate your skills and abilities without having to endure the strain and pressures of interviewing. Smart employers, in fact, search for employees through volunteer programs. They can get a much better understanding of the candidate's skills this way than through a 30-minute interview.
Volunteer your services for anything that's interesting to you, then show your stuff. If you do this repeatedly and enthusiastically, you may never need to ask for a job interview. Instead, you will be offered jobs based on your work.
3. Form your own job club. Forming a job club can become your support group. You can share tips on interviewing and practice how you will respond to questions asked by the interviewer. You may want to make your "cold calls" in pairs as you gather information about companies that interest you.
4. Make sure you have all the information you need to complete a job application. You should have the names of previous employers and their addresses, your Social Security card, driver's license, military records, etc. Be prepared to provide names, addresses, phone numbers and titles of references. Be sure you have asked those individuals to give you a reference.
5. Spend a good deal of time doing research. Learn all you can about the organization(s) you want to work for and the job market in your field. Learn about their product, their image, and what they expect from their employees. Read trade magazines, business weeklies and journals. Get to know some of the people who work where you want to work and ask them lots of questions.
6. Practice your response to some of the typical questions interviewers ask.
Interviewers usually ask some basic questions, such as:
How has your past education or experience prepared you for this job?
What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
III-Marketing Yourself III-21The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
6. Practice your response to some of the typical questions interviewers ask. (continued)
How would you describe yourself?
In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?
Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him or her.
Why did you decide to seek a position with this company?
If you were hiring someone for this position, what qualities would you look for?
What have you learned from your participation in extracurricular activities?
How do you work under pressure?
Helpful Hints
Here are some answers to questions you might have about the interviewing process:
What is the best time of day to apply. Avoid busy periods. Place a telephone call to find out the best time for you to contact the interviewer.
Should I call for more information about the job? Many employers find this practice irritating. Get additional information in person.
How should I finish the interview? The same way you started it, with a handshake and good eye contact. As you prepare to leave, say, "Thank you for taking the time to see me. I sincerely hope you will consider me for this job."
Should I call back after the interview? Allow a reasonable period of time, then check back. A call at the right time may place your application at the top of the pile.
Should I wait for the perfect job? Look for good opportunities, but don't sit around and wait for the perfect job. Ask yourself if stalling is just an excuse to avoid trying and possibly failing.
Remember that all successful people have also failed. Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs, but he also struck out 1,330 times. What if he had given up the first time he struck out? It's not easy going on a second, a third, or even a fiftieth interview, but you can't win if you don't try. So seize your opportunity!
III-Marketing Yourself III-22 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
HOW DO I LOOK?
According to Richard Bolles in his book, What Color is Your Parachute? Study after study has confirmed that if you are a male, you will make a better impression if:
your hair or beard is neatly trimmed;
you have obviously freshly bathed, used deodorant and mouthwash, and have clean, neatly trimmed fingernails;
you have freshly laundered clothes on, and a suit rather than a sports outfit, and sit without slouching;
your breath does not dispense gallons of garlic, onion, stale tobacco, or strong drink, into the enclosed office air;
your shoes are neatly polished, and your pants have a sharp crease;
you are not wafting tons of after-shave cologne fifteen feet ahead of you.
If you are a female, you will make a better impression if:
your hair is newly 'permed' or 'coifed';
you have obviously freshly bathed, used deodorant and mouthwash, and have clean or nicely manicured fingernails;
you wear a bra, freshly cleaned clothes, a suit or sophisticated looking dress, and sit without slouching;
your breath does not dispense gallons of garlic, onion, stale tobacco, or strong drink, into the enclosed office air;
you wear shoes rather than sandals;
you are not wafting tons of perfume fifteen feet ahead of you.
III-Marketing Yourself III-23 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
TEN WAYS TO FAIL A JOB INTERVIEW
It was 1:15 pm. The interview was scheduled for 1:00 pm, and the applicant was nowhere in sight. The personnel interviewer was upset. "Why can't these job applicants get here on time?" she thought.
When the applicant finally arrived at 1:20 pm with a story about a broken alarm clock, the interviewer reached for an antacid and her red pen. The applicant now has two strikes against him/her.
When you apply for a new position or a promotion, it is important that you know what the interviewer is looking for. We're all aware of the positive factors: enthusiasm, confidence and good sense of self are just a few.
But equally important are the negative points in an interview. Any one or a combination of these negative factors can make the difference between getting the position and continuing the job search.
Let's take a close look at 10 critical negative evaluation factors used by interviewers.
************************************
1. Arriving late for the interview. In a recent survey of 140 personnel directors and managers conducted by Robert Half, International, 93% of the respondents replied that being fifteen or more minutes late for an interview meant the candidate was "taking a giant step forward remaining unemployed." An excuse won't help either. The interviewer equates lateness with irresponsibility. Plan on getting to an interview at least fifteen minutes early.
2. A "know it all" superiority complex. Nobody likes braggarts. You can be confident without being conceited. An overaggressive applicant may have problems cooperating with co-workers on the job.
3. Poor personal appearance. Dirty, wrinkled clothes, uncombed hair, dressing in poor taste, i.e., wearing a mini-skirt, or a shirt open to your navel, or using too much cologne or perfume all help you give a poor first impression. YOU NEVER GET A SECOND CHANCE TO GIVE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION.
4. Inarticulate. If you can't express yourself clearly using proper grammar and diction, you won't be able to get your strengths across effectively or communicate with others on the job. If this is your problem, take an English course; join Toastmasters and practice using language at every opportunity.
III-Marketing Yourself III-24 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
TEN WAYS TO FAIL A JOB INTERVIEW (continued)
5. No career goals. This shows the interviewer you haven't put much thought into your greatest natural resource: YOU. If you haven't, why should anyone else? Do some self-examination and decide where you want to be in two to ten years.
6. Lack of enthusiasm and interest. A key to what might be a "bad attitude." Passivity during the interview impresses no one. If you can't get excited about the prospect of getting the job, don't interview for it.
7. Failure to make eye contact. Interviewers wonder if you are "trying to hide something" if you don't look them in the eye. Eye contact shows interest and care for the other person.
8. Indecision. Failure to respond decisively and timely to questions may be a sign of ill-conceived values and ideals. Know where you stand on issues and don't be afraid to express yourself.
9. Lack of courtesy and manners. A firm handshake and words like "please" and "thank you" go a long way towards convincing the interviewer you have strong interpersonal skills. Without them, doubt is created concerning your ability to meet and deal effectively with customers, superiors, and co-workers.
10. Downgrading previous employers. This may indicate that you refuse to take responsibility for your own actions. Never belittle a third party during an interview. It will come back to haunt you. If you have nothing good to say about previous employers, try to avoid saying anything.
************************************
Give this list of negative factors evaluated by interviewers some thought before your next interview. Your chances of getting the position you seek will greatly improve if you are innocent on all ten counts.
III-Marketing Yourself III-25The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
CONDUCTING THE JOB INTERVIEW
The big day has arrived and you've rehearsed the answers to potential interviewer questions. You've reviewed your previous work skills, college courses, volunteer work, and community involvement. You are ready to walk in and take charge of the interview because you are well dressed, well groomed, well rested and you are in a good mood.
Here are a few pointers you may find helpful:
Dress appropriately.
Use a firm handshake.
Arrive early for the interview.
Remember the interviewer's name.
Don't chew gum. Don't smoke.
Wait for the interviewer to sit down or offer you a chair before you sit.
Present yourself as an honest person; do not try to hide anything.
Remember you are selling yourself. Be enthusiastic.
Maintain good eye contact with the interviewer.
Introduce examples of your work experience into the conversation when appropriate.
Retain the interviewer's attention by varying the tempo of your speech and the tone of voice.
Focus on the positive aspects of your previous jobs/classes.
Do not belittle yourself or any of your previous employers.
Remember your goal is to strike a good feeling in the interviewer about you.
You must control the content of the interview.
III-Marketing YourselfIII-26The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
When you are offered an opportunity to ask questions, be ready to ask:
1. What is a typical day like in this job? 2. Will there be opportunities for further training?
3. Who will be my immediate supervisor?
4. Will I be expected to work overtime? Weekends? Holidays?
5. How long is the probation period? 6. What are the benefits (e.g., health, life, and dental insurance)?
Never be the first one to bring up salary.
If a salary offer is made, be prepared to accept or reject it. You should have familiarized yourself with salaries paid in comparable jobs and you should have looked at your financial needs and have in mind the salary you need to meet your obligations.
Get the interviewer's business card.
Ask whom you should call if you have further questions and when will the hiring selection decision be made.
III-Marketing Yourself III-27 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
DURING AND AFTER THE INTERVIEW
How can you tell if you are making a good impression during an interview?
Being able to read the manager's body language is very important when being interviewed for a job. By noticing the manager's actions, you can adjust your answers and demeanor to make a good impression.
Here are just a few things to look for:
If the manager is pleased, he or she will lean forward in their chair, look you in the eye, smile, and be friendly and attentive.
If the manager is bored, he or she will probably start shifting in their chair, tapping their pen, or playing with things on their desk. If you are not capturing the manager's attention, try asking questions that will change the subject and get the manager more involved in the conversation. This should be a conversation between two people not a monologue.
If the manager becomes defensive because of something you said, neutralize your comments and minimize the damage. Don't argue to prove your point. Crossing of the arms, frowning, shaking of the head and sudden hostility are all signs of defensiveness.
If the manager seems distracted, he or she won't make eye contact very often, or may not seem to hear you, or might interrupt you or ask you to repeat yourself. If the distraction is very obvious, you might tactfully ask if something is wrong. The problem may not be with you. You might offer to reschedule the interview. Be courteous and don't pry.
III-Marketing Yourself III-28The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
WRITING AN INTERVIEW THANK YOU LETTER
After the interview, you may want to send a "thank-you" letter to your interviewer. The thank you letter provides another opportunity to present your qualifications and experience to the interviewer. The thank you letter also informs the interviewer that you are really interested in the position and it is a thoughtful touch.
Sample Thank You Letter
2323 Sullivan Drive Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73119 405-555-1234 October 19, 1997 Ms. Jill Miller Director of Communications Palmer & Whitten Associates, Inc. 1899 Creighton Avenue Washington, D.C. 20003 Dear Ms. Miller, Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the possibility of joining your organization as a staff writer. Our discussion was helpful in showing how well my English degree, word processing skills and writing experience fits the position. My specific experience in writing proposals and reports for the Environmental Protection Agency would be beneficial for your new wetlands project and I would enjoy working with your staff on the project. I appreciate the time you spent with me and look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Amy C. Hemphill
III-Marketing Yourself III-29The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
EVALUATING YOUR INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE
At the end of your on-site interview, you need to take stock of your performance. Do you think you answered the questions to the satisfaction of the interviewer? If you were in a group interview, do you think you were poised and calm?
According to the Oklahoma State Employment Service's publication, "Tips for Finding the Right Job," each interview should be a learning experience. After each interview, ask yourself these questions:
What points did I make that seemed to interest the interviewer?
Did I present my qualifications well? Did I overlook qualifications that were important to this particular job?
Did I learn all I needed to know about the job?
Did I ask all the questions I had about the job?
Did I talk too much? Too little?
Was I too tense? Too relaxed?
Was I too aggressive? Not aggressive enough?
Did I effectively close the interview with a firm handshake and "Thank You?"
Did I write a thank you letter?
Make a list of specific ways you can improve your next interview. Remember, "perfect practice makes a perfect performance." The more you interview, the better your performance.
If you plan carefully, do your homework, practice your interviewing skills, and stay motivated, you can successfully market your job skills. You will find a job that uses your skills and pays a salary commensurate with your ability.
DON'T WAIT FOR THE PHONE TO RING. If you haven't heard anything after 3-4 weeks, call the contact person; but only if you sincerely want to work for that company.
GET INTO ACTION! You must keep contacting companies, researching opportunities and connecting with people in the field while you are waiting for a response from your interviewer. Putting all your eggs in one basket is unwise. Keep several irons in the fire, one will eventually pay off.
III-Marketing Yourself III-30 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
INTERVIEW SELF-APPRAISAL CHECK LIST
Company Name_______________________________________________________________________
Company Address_____________________________________________________________________
Interviewer's Name____________________________________________________________________
Telephone___________________________________________________________________________
Date of Interview ___________________________________Call Back Date______________________
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING AFTER THE INTERVIEW…Yes or No
1. Did you arrive on time?
2. Were you friendly with the people you met?
3. Did you introduce yourself to the interviewer?
4. Did you state your qualifications?
5. What did you mention?
6. What did you wear?
7. Did you give the interviewer a copy of your resume?
8. Did the interviewer review your resume?
9. Did the interviewer discuss anything from your personal background?
10. What did the interviewer say?
11. Did the interviewer comments on your skills?
12. What did the interviewer say?
13. What was the interviewer's general impression of you?
14. Did he comment on your letters of recommendation?
15. What did the interviewer say?
16. Did you offer him a firm handshake?
17. Did the interviewer discuss any special problems you may have? (disabilities, transportation, etc.)
18. Did you look at the interviewer when he spoke?
19. Did you show good posture and no nervous mannerisms?
20. Did you mention who referred you or if you knew someone working at the company?
21. Did you state your desire for work and interest in the company?
22. Did the interviewer seem to like you?
III-Marketing Yourself III-31 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
23. What was discussed the most?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24. Was there anything the interviewer disliked?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
25. What did the interviewer seem interested in?_____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________
III-Marketing Yourself III-32 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
NOTES
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
III-Marketing Yourself III-33The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
NOTES
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
III-Marketing Yourself III-34 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Section IV
JOB SEARCH
INDEED, PERSISTENCE IS FREQUENTLY MORE IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS THAN TALENT OR SPECIAL SKILLS, AND MOST CAREER FAILURES CAN BE TRACED TO A LACK OF PERSISTENCE. The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
TIPS THAT CAN HELP WITH YOUR JOB SEARCH
Make a commitment to find a job before starting the search. RESOLVE THAT NOTHING RIGHT NOW IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FINDING THE JOB YOU WANT.
Identify your goals and put them on paper, whatever they are. The goals may be, "I WANT TO BE PAID WELL," or "I WANT TO BE OUTSTANDING IN MY FIELD." Seeing your goals written down can help you plan how you will achieve them.
Draft a BLUEPRINT of steps needed to achieve your goals and look at the obstacles as well as the opportunities. Ask yourself specific questions about the job goal you have chosen.
Establish a timeline for accomplishing each step along the way to your goal. Even if you miss the target dates, you will have established a goal.
Use as many of these 13 avenues of job-hunting as possible:
1. USE THE INTERNET.
2. USE CONTACTS OF FAMILY, FRIENDS, FORMER TEACHERS
3. MAKE COLD CALLS AT PERSONNEL OFFICES.
4. GET ON STATE AND FEDERAL REGISTERS OR HIRING PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
5. CONTACT PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICES; WORKFORCE OKLAHOMA COMMISSION, CITY AND COUNTY PERSONNEL OFFICES.
6. CONTACT TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES.
7. CONTACT LOCAL COLLEGE PLACEMENT OFFICES.
8. CALL JOB LINES.
9. ANSWER ADS IN THE NEWSPAPER.
10. PLACE YOUR AD IN THE NEWSPAPER.
11. MAIL OUT RESUMES.
12. WORK THROUGH A JOB SEARCH PROGRAM.
13. CONTACT PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES.
IV-Job Search IV-2 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Finally, do not stay home waiting for job offers by mail or phone. You must attack the job market each day.
MOST COMMONLY USED JOB SEARCH METHODS
(The average job hunter only uses 1.6 of these 13 job-hunting avenues.)
METHOD PERCENT OF TOTAL JOB SEEKERS USING THIS METHOD EFFECTIVENESS RATE*
Applied directly to employer
66.0%
47.7%
Asked friends about where they work
50.8%
22.1%
Asked friends about jobs elsewhere
41.8%
11.9%
Asked relatives about jobs where they work
28.4%
19.3%
Asked relatives about jobs elsewhere
27.3%
7.4%
Answered local newspaper ads
45.9%
23.9%
Private employment agency
21.0%
24.2%
School placement office
12.5%
21.4%
Civil Service test
15.3%
12.5%
Asked teacher or professor
10.4%
12.1%
Placed ad in local newspaper
1.6%
12.9%
Union hiring hall
6.0%
22.2%
* A percentage obtained by dividing the number of job seekers who actually found work using the method, by the total number of job seekers who tried to use that method, whether successful or not.
IV-Job Search IV-3 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
OKC Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Offices (OESC)
NORMAN
Workforce Oklahoma
1141 E. Main
Norman, OK 73071
405-701-2000
405-701-2042 (fax#)
OKLAHOMA CITY (Eastside)
Workforce Oklahoma
7401 NE 23rd Street
PO Box 30409
Oklahoma City, OK 73140
405-713-1890
405-713-1898 (fax#)
OKLAHOMA CITY (Southside)
Workforce Oklahoma
4509 S. 1-35 Service Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73129
405-670-9100
405-670-9292 (fax#)
OKLAHOMA CITY (VA Medical Center)
921 NE 13th
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
(405) 270-0501, ext. 5031 or 5735
OKLAHOMA STATE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM)
Jim Thorpe Office Building * Room B-22 * 2101 N. Lincoln Blvd.
State Capitol Complex * Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-2171 TDD 405-521-6314
FEDERAL OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM)
For job information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call 912-757-3000.
With a computer modem dial 912-757-3100 * Using the Internet (Telnet only) at FJOB.Mail.OPM.Gov
TDD 912-744-2299 * To request forms 210-805-2402
JOB SEARCH SITES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
There are a multitude of job search sites on the internet. You can search on http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.google.com, http://www.msn.com, and any other search engine of your choice by simply typing job search and your city in the search box.
IV-Job Search IV-4
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Section V
RECORDKEEPING
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
RECORD KEEPING FORMAT
Organization and good record keeping are vital in your employment search. You should make copies of all letters of application and other forms sent to prospective employers. A record should also be kept of each employer contacted, date of contact, name of person contacted, date of reply, results of contact, dates of interviews scheduled and any follow-up required.
You may use the following form as a sample format for developing a record keeping form. You may also want to develop a filing system of 3x5 cards containing information on each employer.
Name of Company Address/Phone
Date Applied
Reply Date
Results of Appl.
Interview Date
Interviewer Name & Phone
Thank-You Ltr. Mailed
Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc.
V-Record Keeping V-2 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
RECORD KEEPING
Name of Company Address/Phone
Date Applied
Reply Date
Results of Appl.
Interview Date
Interviewer Name & Phone
Thank-You Ltr. Mailed
Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc.
V-Record Keeping V-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
RECORD KEEPING
Name of Company Address/Phone
Date Applied
Reply Date
Results of Appl.
Interview Date
Interviewer Name & Phone
Thank-You Ltr. Mailed
Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc.
V-Record Keeping V-4The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
RECORD KEEPING
Name of Company Address/Phone
Date Applied
Reply Date
Results of Appl.
Interview Date
Interviewer Name & Phone
Thank-You Ltr. Mailed
Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc.
V-Record Keeping V-5 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
RECORD KEEPING
Name of Company Address/Phone
Date Applied
Reply Date
Results of Appl.
Interview Date
Interviewer Name & Phone
Thank-You Ltr. Mailed
Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc.
V-Record Keeping V-6 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
RECORD KEEPING
Name of Company Address/Phone
Date Applied
Reply Date
Results of Appl.
Interview Date
Interviewer Name & Phone
Thank-You Ltr. Mailed
Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc.
V-Record Keeping V-7The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
NOTES
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
V-Record Keeping V-8
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Section VI
PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY
The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE JOB SEARCH
What Job Seekers with Disabilities Need to Know
Whether you are entering the work force for the first time, returning to the job market, or seeking advancement, the challenges of a job search are similar. Your goal is to find the position that best meets your needs. You must be qualified and able to sell yourself as the best applicant for the job(s) for which you apply. Here are some tips that can help you in meeting your job search goal.
KNOW THYSELF Have a strong sense of who you are. Know your assets and how to market them to employers. EXPAND YOUR NETWORK Maintain and continuously strive to broaden your network. If you are working, network inside the company. Join professional groups. COMMIT TO LIFELONG CHANGE Follow job trends. Take the initiative to maintain cutting edge skills that match changing employer requirements. BE COMPUTER LITERATE Increasing your technical skills increases your marketability in the job market. Conduct online job searches. Visit employer Web pages and key job sites. RESEARCH JOB TRENDS AND COMPANIES Select targets of opportunity that match your skill areas. Request and study annual reports of selected companies. Reflect each company's image in all communications with each company's representatives. Make good use of library resources. Read trade journals and business publications. UPDATE YOUR RESUME Customize your resume to reflect the assets you bring to each job. Use keywords that can be electronically scanned by potential employers to positions you want. Reflect continuous employment in your skill area. Summer employment should support your field of interest. Volunteer or obtain temporary jobs if you are unemployed. Select a resume format that minimizes any gaps in employment. BE YOUR BEST Locating a job is a full-time endeavor. Give full attention to all that you do. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE A pleasant personality is a necessary asset. Your eagerness to adapt and to be a team player is essential. Show that you are flexible. A sense of humor and positive attitude are pluses. DISCLOSE A DISABILITY ONLY AS NEEDED The only reason to disclose a disability is if you require an accommodation for an interview or to perform the essential functions of a particular job. Your resume and cover letter should focus on the abilities you bring to the job, not on your disability. BE ORGANIZED Have a written plan for vertical and lateral growth opportunities. Know what you must do each day to move closer to your goal. Stay focused. REMEMBER Push yourself to go the extra mile in your job search and you will find the opportunity you are seeking. BE PREPARED TO CONDUCT AN EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW Look your best from head to toe. Dress conservatively. Be brief and to the point when answering interview questions. Maintain a demeanor of success and reflect the company image when you respond. Have full confidence in what you bring to the employer and show how your skills meet the company's specific hiring needs. Ask thoughtful questions about the job and the company. NEVER say anything negative. Follow-up immediately with a thank-you letter or email transmission.
VI-Persons With A Disability VI-2The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
This section is included in this publication because as persons with disabilities, we need to be aware of as many resources as possible that can assist with job search, job placement and job retention. Some of these programs or services have a long history, having been established prior to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES
3535 NW 58th, Ste. 500
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Voice/TTY/TDD 405-951-3400 Call to find out which counselor serves your Zip Code.
Toll Free Voice /TTY/TDD 800-845-8476
Service Information:
This agency is made up of three Divisions: Rehabilitative Services, Visual Services, and Disability Determination. The agency's mission is to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to achieve productivity, independence and an enriched quality of life.
An individual is eligible for vocational rehabilitation services if he/she:
Has a physical or mental impairment which results in a substantial impediment to employment;
Can benefit in terms of employment outcomes from vocational rehabilitation services;
Requires vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, enter, or retain gainful employment.
INDIVIDUALS WITH THE MOST SEVERE DISABILITIES RECEIVE PRIORITY IN OBTAINING SERVICES
VI-Persons With A Disability VI-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Employment Services for persons with disabilities include:
Counseling and guidance to help each person attain occupational goals
Medical care and durable medical equipment needed to remove or reduce limitations resulting from disability *
Prosthetic appliances such as limbs, braces, hearing aids, eyeglasses and other devices when needed to increase work capacity *
Prescribed adaptive technology to increase consumer's abilities to function successfully *
Tuition and fees at trade or vocational school, colleges or universities and/or on-the-job training
Books and other related training expenses *
Pre-vocational training through community based rehabilitation facilities
Financial maintenance, transportation, tools, equipment, licenses, or initial inventory for starting businesses *
Job placement and on-the-job follow-up
*Consumers may be required to participate in the cost of these services, depending on their income levels.
EMPLOYMENT OKLAHOMA STATE AGENCIES
Persons with Severe Disabilities Employment Program
Oklahoma law provides a program for persons with severe disabilities to gain access to state employment. Tests for all state jobs may be waived for those qualified applicants certified as eligible for this program through the STATE DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES. Further, agencies may hire qualified applicants regardless of whether their names appear on registers maintained by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Applicants hired through this program serve a probation period and are eligible for permanent status in the classified service upon successful completion of probation.
You may hear this program referred to as Employment under House Bill 1340 because this program was established by law (HB 1340) in 1987.
This program is administered by the Office of Personnel Management in the Jim Thorpe Building, 2101 N. Lincoln Blvd. OKC, OK 73105, 405-521-2177 or 405-521-6314 (TDD). THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES CERTIFIES applicants who meet the criteria of "severely disabled." A flyer that gives the six-step process can be obtained at the Office of Personnel Management and on their website, www.opm.state.ok.us.
VI-Persons With A Disability VI-4 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
This is a competitive process and there is no guarantee of being hired. Persons with disabilities do not have preference.
YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM IF YOU:
Have a severe physical or mental impairment which seriously limits one or more functional capacities including, but not limited to, mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance, or work skills, in terms of an employment outcome;
AND
Have one or more mental or physical impairments resulting from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, deafness, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, including stroke and epilepsy, paraplegia, quadriplegia and other spinal cord conditions, sickle cell anemia, specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury, end-stage renal disease; or other impairments or combinations of impairments as documented by an evaluation by Vocational Rehabilitation Services or Visual Services or the individuals' own doctor statement.
YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE A REHABILITATION CLIENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
NOTE: A person with a disability may pursue employment with the state of Oklahoma by taking merit tests and being placed on registers the same as any other applicant.
___________________________________________
SPECIAL EXCEPTED APPOINTMENT (SEA) PROJECT
Employment with the Federal Government
People with disabilities obtain employment with the Federal government in a number of ways - through regular competitive procedures in the same way as people without disabilities, through temporary not-to-exceed 700 hours trial appointments, and through special excepted appointments. The excepted appointment procedure was developed to provide an alternate route to employment for people with severe disabilities.
VI-Persons With A Disability VI-5 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
To qualify for an excepted appointment, you must meet certain criteria:
1. Have the basic knowledge, skills and abilities for the job and be able to perform the duties of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
2. Have an impairment, which substantially limits one or more major life activities; have a record of such impairment; or regarded as having such impairment.
3. Have a state vocational rehabilitation counselor or visual services counselor certify that you have the ability to do the job and do it without risk to yourself or others. The certification must be supported by medical documentation regarding the severity of your disability.
The State Employment Services in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, and Shawnee and Federal agencies in the Metropolitan area of Oklahoma City are working together to create a pool of Federal job applicants. When an individual with a disability makes application at one of the Employment service offices, their federal job application can be considered by all agencies participating in the SEA project. Ask your State Employment counselor for a SEA project application packet.
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors fill out a form in the application packet confirming that you are a person with a disability.
______________________________________
OKLAHOMA CITY SHELTERED WORKSHOPS
Community based rehabilitation facilities in Oklahoma City continue to represent a major employment resource for citizens with disabilities. Rehabilitation and Visual Services promote and support community based rehabilitative facilities in their efforts to provide appropriate services to their clients.
WORK ADJUSTMENT TRAINING is the major service provided by sheltered workshops which counselors can purchase for their clients from Rehabilitative and Visual Services (RVS) accredited facilities. In more recent years, Oklahoma sheltered workshops have expanded their programs to include on-the-job training in integrated settings, training for competitive employment and contracts in the private sector that provide many opportunities for employment and advancement in both the public and private sectors.
OKLAHOMA GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, INC.
410 SW Third Street
OKC, OK 73109
405-236-4451
Voice 405-235-4490 TDD 405-236-4451 WillPower Temporary Service
VI-Persons With A Disability VI-6 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities
Service Information:
Goodwill offers employment opportunities in hand assembly, retail clothing and custodial work.
Goodwill offers several training opportunities: Business Office and Communication Course, Computer Literacy Program, and Work Adjustment Training.
WILLPOWER TEMPORARY SERVICES specializes in placing people in temporary assignments for clerical positions.
A documented disability is the criteria for Goodwill services.
NEW VIEW ( formerly OKLAHOMA LEAGUE FOR THE BLIND)
501 N. Douglass Ave.
OKC, OK 73106
405-232-4644
Service Information:
New View is a manufacturing facility that builds wheel chocks and ladders, makes Styrofoam cups and paper bags. Most jobs are assembly or maintenance of machinery.
New View must have a 7
Object Description
Description
| Title | Road To Employment |
| OkDocs Class# | H320.5 R628e 2011 |
| Digital Format | PDF, Adobe Reader required |
| ODL electronic copy | Downloaded from agency website: http://www.ok.gov/odc/documents/RoadToEmployment.pdf |
| Rights and Permissions | This Oklahoma state government publication is provided for educational purposes under U.S. copyright law. Other usage requires permission of copyright holders. |
| Language | English |
| Full text | The Road to Employment For People with Disabilities Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns City of Oklahoma City Office of Disability Concerns Revised January 2011 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities INTRODUCTION In this modern day of high technology, satellites, ATMs, and the Information Highway, can you imagine looking for a job by doing the following? First, you would develop a card that encoded all the necessary information about you. This information would include your interests, hobbies, jobs you have held, all educational and/or technical schools attended, a listing of training programs you have attended including your major areas of study, awards and recognition you’ve received in school or in your community, a computerized analysis of your handwriting, the salary you earned on your last two jobs and a profile of the working environment you would like (e.g., working at a desk, traveling across country, meeting people and demonstrating a product or working at home, designing a bridge, a building or computer software, caring for children or administering to the elderly and those who are sick, working in a factory turning out a finished product daily, teaching fellow employees how to use a new piece of equipment or teaching them techniques for motivating employees they supervise, etc.) Now, imagine that this card is inserted into a machine that can instantly match your profile to the thousands of jobs in a data bank and determine exactly what jobs you qualify for and where those jobs can be found. This computerized genius would go one step further and tell you where the job openings are. You then choose a company that appeals to you and a quick phone call to that company would put you in touch with the Human Resources office. You would inform the Human Resources Coordinator that you fit the profile of the person they are looking for and that you’d like to start to work on Monday. Since you are a morning person, you’d choose the early shift. Within months you’d walk over to facsimile machine and pick up all the necessary information about the person who will be your supervisor. There will be a profile of this person and clear expectations he/she has for employees under his/her supervision. Along with that information is a cafeteria-style benefit package from which you will choose the benefits that best fit your needs. A schedule of planned orientations for new employees is attached. Step over to your computer and enter the company’s web site address and familiarize yourself with the company. All the paperwork that new employees fill out and will appear on your computer screen. After filling in all the necessary information, the paperwork is emailed back to the company. It is done! You have the perfect job with the hours you prefer, a benefit package just for you, and a supervisor that is compatible with your personality and working style. “WAIT A MINUTE,” you say. “It doesn’t work that way,” GUESS WHAT? . . . You’re right! This publication was developed to help you have a successful job search. There is a great deal of effort and energy expended in finding employment. If you are not making finding a job your number one priority, then employment will continue to be out of your grasp. The road to employment requires planning, goal setting, and positive action. Take a look at the proposed action steps you can take to insure employment. The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................I SECTION 1. SELF-AWARENESS / SELF-ASSESSMENT ..........................................I Self-Awareness/Self Assessment ..........................................................................................2-3 The Twelve Major Interest Areas .........................................................................................4 Getting Other People’s Help with Your Self-Assessment ....................................................5 Check Out Your Career Interests ..........................................................................................6 Interpretation of Scores .........................................................................................................7 Determining Your Job Skills ................................................................................................8-9-10 Education ..............................................................................................................................11 Other Skills ...........................................................................................................................12 Aptitude ...............................................................................................................................13 Create a Word Picture of Who You Are ...............................................................................14-15 Intelligence Test ....................................................................................................................16 Intelligence Test Results .......................................................................................................17 Notes ....................................................................................................................................18-19 SECTION II. PREPARATION ..........................................................................................II Think About It ......................................................................................................................2 Literacy ................................................................................................................................3-4 Colleges and Universities Education and Training Sources .................................................5-6-7 Private Technical Training Schools ......................................................................................8-9-10-11 Notes ....................................................................................................................................11 SECTION III. MARKETING YOURSELF .....................................................................III Marketing Yourself ...............................................................................................................2 Action Verbs to Help Describe Your Experience .................................................................3-4 Preparing Your Resume ........................................................................................................5 What is a resume? .................................................................................................................5 Information You Need as You Prepare Your Resume .........................................................6 Reverse Chronological Resume ............................................................................................7-8 Functional Resume ...............................................................................................................9-10 Writing a Cover Letter ..........................................................................................................11 Completing a Federal Application ........................................................................................12 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION III. MARKETING YOURSELF (continued) Sample Federal Applications ................................................................................................12-14-15-16 Additional Job Experience ....................................................................................................17 OPM Application Hints ........................................................................................................18-19 Telephone Etiquette ..............................................................................................................20 Preparing for the Job Interview ............................................................................................21-22 How Do I Look? ...................................................................................................................23 Ten Ways to Fail a Job Interview .........................................................................................24-25 Conducting the Job Interview ...............................................................................................26-27 During and After the Interview .............................................................................................28 Writing an Interview Thank-You Letter ...............................................................................29 Evaluating Your Interview Performance ..............................................................................30 Interview Self-Appraisal Check List ....................................................................................31-32 Notes ....................................................................................................................................33-34 SECTION IV. JOB SEARCH ............................................................................................IV Tips that Can Help With Your Job Search ...........................................................................2 Commonly Used Job Search Methods ..................................................................................3 Oklahoma Employment Offices ...........................................................................................4 Job Search Sites on the World Wide Web ............................................................................4 SECTION V. RECORD KEEPING ..................................................................................V Record Keeping Format ........................................................................................................1-7 Notes ....................................................................................................................................8 SECTION VI. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ..........................................................VI Essential Elements of an Effective Job Search .....................................................................2 Employment Programs and Resources for People with Disabilities ....................................3-4 Oklahoma Supported Employment Projects .........................................................................5-10 Ticket To Work and Self Sufficiency Program ....................................................................11-12 Resources for Employers Who Hire Individuals With Disabilities ......................................13 Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Laws ................................................................14-15 Examples of Reasonable Accommodations ..........................................................................16-17 Rights as an Individual with Handicaps ...............................................................................18 Notes ....................................................................................................................................19-20 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION VII. AFTER YOU ARE HIRED......................................................................VII What Your Boss Wants You to Know ..................................................................................2 Getting a Promotion ..............................................................................................................3 Success in the 21st Century ..................................................................................................4 Notes ....................................................................................................................................5 SECTION VIII. WORK IN THE 21st CENTURY .........................................................VIII Livelihood in the 21st Century .............................................................................................2-3 Notes ....................................................................................................................................4 SECTION IX. RESOURCES .............................................................................................IX Resources ..............................................................................................................................2-3 Notes ....................................................................................................................................4 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Section I SELF-AWARENESS SELF-ASSESSMENT KNOW THYSELF The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities SELF-AWARENESS/SELF ASSESSMENT Knowing who you are makes looking for employment and finding satisfaction in the workplace easier. It is very important for you to take some time and analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Preliminary work in your job search requires solid, honest, self-assessment. Take a look at your interests, your skills and talents, your personal aspirations and your academic performance. Maybe you are one of those fortunate individuals that have always known exactly what you wanted to do when you grew up. Perhaps you have been preparing for that career throughout your elementary and high school years. For example: You knew very early that you had a deep love for animals. You were good in science and mathematics. You were very curious about animal care and you always asked lots of questions when you took your pet to the veterinarian. Pursuing this interest as a career would be a natural for you. Your interests and abilities come together to guide you toward a satisfying career. What if your interests always led you to do outdoor activities? Going camping, studying trees, flowers, birds and growing a garden were some of your favorite pastimes. How could those interests lead to a career? Think of the many jobs you could do in wildlife, forestry, agriculture or horticulture. You are happiest when you are around people and would never consider spending 8 hours each day sitting at a machine and only interacting with it, whether it’s a computer, telephone or a machine on an assembly line. You enjoy face-to-face contact with people and find something fascinating about everyone you meet. Could this interest lead you to a career? Now, give some serious thought to the kinds of things you have always enjoyed. Start with the kinds of games you played as a child. Then think about things you like to do in your free time. It can be anything from fishing, backpacking, building model cars, making cookies, drawing sketches, watching television... the kinds of TV shows you watch tells something about your interests. I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-2The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities List ten things that you enjoy doing: 1. _____________________________________ 6. _________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 7. _________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ 8. _________________________________ 4. _____________________________________ 9. __________________________________ 5. _____________________________________ 10. ________________________________ From the list above, choose the top five: 1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ 4. _____________________________________ 5. _____________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Can you relate these five things that you enjoy doing most to the 12 major interest areas on the next page? List your major area/areas of interest. 1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ 4. _____________________________________ 5. _____________________________________ I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities THE TWELVE MAJOR INTEREST AREAS As you read through these 12 one-sentence characterizations, you may already feel drawn to one or more of these interest groups. Artistic: Interest in creative expression of feelings or ideas. Scientific: Interest in discovering, collecting and analyzing information about the natural world and in applying scientific findings to problems in medicine, life sciences, and natural sciences. Plants and Animals: Interest in activities involving plants and animals, usually in an outdoors setting. Protective: Interest in the use of authority to protect people and property. Mechanical: Interest in applying mechanical principles to practical situations, using machines, hand tools, or techniques. Industrial: Interest in repetitive, concrete, organized activities in a factory setting. Business Detail: Interest in organized, clearly defined activities requiring accuracy and attention to detail; primarily in an office setting. Selling: Interest in bringing others to a point of view through personal persuasion, using sales and promotion techniques. Accommodating: Interest in catering to the wishes of others, usually on a one-on-one basis. Humanitarian: Interest in helping others with their mental, spiritual, social, physical, or vocational needs. Leading/Influencing: Interest in leading and influencing others through activities involving high-level verbal or numerical abilities. Physical Performing: Interest in physical activities performed before an audience. I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-4The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities GETTING OTHER PEOPLE’S HELP WITH YOUR SELF-ASSESSMENT This activity can be an eye-opener because it allows people who know you very well to give you positive feedback about the qualities they see in you. Ask four or five people who know you well, preferably family members, coworkers, and friends, to write down five or ten positive traits they observe in you. This is not an opportunity for those close to you to criticize. Look at all of the statements and see if two or three of those traits show up in each person’s assessment. These would be your strongest traits. EXAMPLE: Susie asked her husband and her three teenage children to write down 5-10 positive statements about her. Son #1 wrote: a cheerful, optimistic personality; good cook; understanding; Christian; loving; good sense of humor; intelligent; respected by peers. Son #2 wrote: loving; friendly; kind; inspirational; diligent; strict; patient. Her daughter wrote: a positive attitude; optimistic about the future; friendly; creative in expressing herself through quilting; sewing; growing plants and gardens; enterprising (can make something out of nothing); perceptive (able to read between the lines); enthusiastic; patient and understanding; talented in handling different personalities. Her husband wrote: kind and understanding; intelligent; patient; attractive; a good conversationalist; congenial; well educated; compassionate. In analyzing their statements, Susie saw that her family viewed her as kind and understanding, intelligent, patient and friendly. Each family member reported these traits. Susie can feel assured that other people will probably view her in the same way. These traits represent some of her strengths and she can look for a career that will allow her to use these traits in her work. After you get your responses, record the 5 common traits that are reported by each person or the ones that are reported by two or more of the people who participated. 1. ________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________ I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-5 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities CHECK OUT YOUR CAREER INTERESTS Selecting a career...choosing a path for your future will be one of the most important decisions that you will ever make. To choose a career wisely, you will draw information from many sources, including your own interests. This quick and easy checklist will help you identify activities that you enjoy, and will identify career fields in which those interests might help you. Check those activities that you like doing. Don’t worry about whether or not you are good at any of them. This activity is measuring interest only, not abilities. __ 1. Solve mathematics problems __ 2. Develop a computer program __ 3. Study animals __ 4. Read science magazines __ 5. Play strategy games __ 6. Take children on outings __ 7. Make arrangements on the phone __ 8. Belong to social club __ 9. Help sick people get well __ 10. Help people solve their personal problems __ 11. Do drawings and paintings __ 12. Go to the theatre __ 13. Listen to different music __ 14. Take a dance class __ 15. Redecorate your room __ 16. Start your own business __ 17. Study marketing __ 18. Be a committee chairman __ 19. Run for public office __ 20. Play stock market __ 21. Work with your hands __ 22. Fix machinery __ 23. Work outdoors __ 24. Use physical coordination __ 25. See tangible results of your work __ 26. Have regular work hours __ 27. Do basic bookkeeping __ 28. Improve office efficiency __ 29. Use office equipment __ 30. Find ways to save a business money To calculate your score, count the number of checks for: Items: 1-5_____ 6-10 _____ 16-20 _____ 26-30 _____ See next page for results I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-6 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities INTERPRETATION OF SCORES Items 1 through 5: Count the check marks. If you have several, it indicates you have: theoretical/investigative” traits. Your interests include scientific activities, problem solving, investigation and research and working independently. Some examples of careers you might research are research scientist, computer technician, mathematician, and meteorologist. Items 6 through 10: Check marks on these items indicate that you have “social” traits. You enjoy people oriented activities, interaction with others and being of service to them. Possible careers include nursing, childcare, counselor, teacher, or fashion merchandising. Items 11 through 15: Did you check items in this group? If so you have indicated “aesthetic/artistic? Traits. You prefer activities that involve art, literature, music and dance. You have a need for self-expression and an appreciation for beauty. Possible careers: commercial artists, floral designer, fashion designer, journalist, or horticulturist. Items 16 through 20: Several check marks here indicate that you have “enterprising/economic/political” traits. You are interested in securing a position of leadership and power, working toward financial success, and participating in competitive activities that involve risk-taking. Possible occupations include entrepreneur, politician, and investment banker. Items 21 through 25: People who are “realistic and concrete” make several checks on these items. If that included you, you enjoy doing “hands on activities rather than engaging in heavy analysis: concrete problems as opposed to abstract ones. Mechanical, construction and repair activities hold your interest. Possible careers are carpenter, automotive mechanic, electronics, technician, plumber, motor control technician, and electrician. Items 26 through 30: If you have “conventional” traits you probable checked several of these items. Your interest includes working within an organizational structure in an activity that requires attention to detail and accuracy. Possible careers: secretary, accountant/bookkeeper, paralegal, computer information systems specialist, drafting, and graphic arts. Note: Your interests may not fit neatly into one category. A mixture of two or three areas produces even more career possibilities. A career counselor can help you zero in on which career may suit your particular mixture of interests. I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-7The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities DETERMINING YOUR JOB SKILLS Another important part of self-assessment and self-awareness is taking the time to analyze your skills and determine which ones can be used in the workplace. If you have worked before, then you need to take some time and list the skills that you used in doing that job. What if you don’t have any paid work experience? You may still have lots of skills. You may have “worked” on a hobby, or you may have “worked” as a homemaker, a student, or a volunteer in a family business. Many of these skills are transferable to the world of work. TIPS FOR MAKING A BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE LIST: All hobbies and daily activities require many skills, knowledge, and abilities. List your hobbies, clubs, sports, church and school activities on the next page. List the skills or talents used to perform each activity. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES: Homemaking Ability to manage budget Ability to handle multiple tasks Ability to cook, clean, do the laundry, shop Skill in teaching, training others Fixing Cars Skill in using different tools Ability to diagnose mechanical problems Ability to see difference in sizes and shapes Knowledge of electronics Playing Basketball/Bowling Ability to interact with others Ability to follow rules Ability to do arithmetic (keeping score) Ability to reach, lift, jump, stoop and run Skill in directing others (calling plays, coaching) I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-8The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities HOBBIES 1. 2. 3. SKILLS USED OR LEARNED CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS 1. 2. 3. SKILLS USED OR LEARNED SPORTS 1. 2. 3. SKILLS USED OR LEARNED SCHOOL SUBJECTS (favorite) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. SKILLS USED OR SKILLS LEARNED I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-9The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities WORK HISTORY If you have worked before, list your jobs. Include volunteer, part-time, summer and self-employment. Write down your work duties for each job listed. (See example below.) Now, think about skills or talents it took to do each job duty. Write them down. HERE’S AN EXAMPLE: WORK DUTIES: SKILLS OR TALENTS Cafeteria Food Service Worker: Able to get along with customer and co-workers Able to get requests correct Able to assist with food preparation Able to lift large pans of food Able to work quickly Painting Classrooms: Able to paint skillfully Able to prepare surface for painting Able to clean up when finished Able to stand for long periods Park Maintenance: Able to work outside for long periods Able to use machinery and tools Able to follow directions I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-10The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities EDUCATION List the schools you attended, dates, major studies or courses completed. Include military, vocational education, adult education classes, seminars, and on-the-job training. ATTENDED DATES MAJOR STUDIES / COURSES COMPLETED (see categories above) List degrees, certificates, awards and honors. I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-11 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities OTHER SKILLS Take a look at some other skills that you might have used in a previous job, in school, or in your daily life. Check one of the following that is a strong skill or yours. Instructing Others: Giving instructions on a new piece of equipment Managing people Meeting deadlines Teaching a new skill Planning and Developing teaching materials Using Your Hands: Assembling things Building things Constructing/repairing building Operating tools Driving/operating a vehicle Using complex equipment Negotiating: Organizing/managing projects Speaking in public Writing information Settling disputes Dealing with Data: Settling disputes Analyzing data Auditing records Calculating/Computing Classifying data Doing research Working With People Administering to other’s needs Caring for/comforting others Counseling others Interviewing Mentoring others Motivating people Creative/Artistic Drawing Painting Performing/acting Presenting creative ideas Leadership Skills Arranging social functions Explaining things to others Delegating duties Initiating new tasks Taking risks Self-confident Self-motivated Problem solver Personality Traits Outgoing Competitive Decisive Patient Persuasive Pleasant Sensitive Sociable Tolerant Tough I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-12 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities APTITUDE We’ve talked a good deal about interests, skills, jobs you’ve held, leisure time activities, and hobbies. Another critical piece of the puzzle that relates to career choice and employment success is aptitude. In planning your future career, you should consider industry trends, your own personality traits, your attitudes, values and interests. The most critical area to consider is your aptitude. Aptitude refers to those skills and talents that are innate and not necessarily based on what you’ve learned in school. For example, most reasonably intelligent people can learn the mechanics of music; however, those who become the most successful musicians are those who were born with an innate aptitude for music. You’ve probably noticed this about artists, mechanics, carpenters and people in many other fields. Because we live in a highly technical society today, there is a high demand for individuals who have an aptitude for technology. To succeed in a high-tech field, an individual needs to have a high aptitude in three areas: logic, mechanical, and numerical. If you are interested in a high-tech field you will find a self-administered high-tech aptitude testing system in “Discover Your High-Tech Talents,” by Barry and Linda Gale. Most of the careers included in this book require a minimum of two years of college. If you took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) military test while in high school, you should have gotten some ideas about you high aptitude areas. The General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB) also gives you an individual an idea of high aptitude areas. Most junior colleges and Vo-Tech Centers offer some type of career planning and assessment services. Some of these services are free to the public. A visit to the Workforce Oklahoma Career Connection Center, 7401 NE 23rd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma can provide you with an opportunity to take various tests. One of the tests, Career Mappers, evaluates your ability to work with words, letters in series, and numbers in series, math skills and printed designs. It also includes a section of 110 multiple-choice questions that reveal personality, attitudes, and work ethics. The VALPAR is another test administered at the Career Connection Center that evaluates manual dexterity, and ability to use hand tools and simple machines. Another computerized test evaluates hand-eye-foot coordination, form, spatial and color perception. Other tests can give you an idea about your reading and math skills. When all tests are completed, the computer will give you a list of occupation titles that best suit your aptitude and ability. The time that you spend doing a self-evaluation is one of the best ways to spend your time before you launch a serious job search, whether you are looking for employment for the first time or you are in the process of changing careers. I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-13 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities LET’S CREATE A WORD PICTURE OF WHO YOU ARE You bring to an employer many facets of yourself. You may need to refer to the previous pages in order to complete the blanks below. FILL IN THE FOLLOWING BLANKS TO GET A SELF-PORTRAIT: I am interested in: (Choose from the 12 major interest areas) 1. 2. 3. 4. I have educational/training in the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I have the following skills/abilities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. I am viewed by others as: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-14 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities My greatest assets are: (list as many as you like. Begin each statement with, I am.) ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ I need to improve: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ I will improve by: (how and when?) ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ The job of my dreams is: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Tell where? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Doing what? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Hours worked? ________________________________________________________________ Who would you work with? etc. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ What are the reasons you can’t have the job of your dreams? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Are those reasons or excuses? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Remember, you are not your disability! I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-15 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities INTELLIGENCE TEST . . . Read the following rules first: 1. COUNT OUT LOUD THE F’s IN THE TEST SENTENCE BELOW; 2. COUNT THE F’s ONLY ONCE, DO NOT GO BACK AND COUNT THEM AGAIN. TEST SENTENCE: FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULTS OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS. SEE THE NEXT PAGE FOR THE ANSWER: I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-16The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities INTELLIGENCE TEST RESULTS Now, determine your IQ. There are 6 F’s in the sentence. Persons with average intelligence find 3. If you spotted 4, you are above average. If you found 5, you can turn your nose up at most anyone. If you found all 6 you are a genius. To find the ones you missed, look for the word “of.” I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-17The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities NOTES ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-18The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities NOTES ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I-SELF-AWARENESS/SELF-ASSESSMENT I-19 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Section II PREPARATION THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP.” --Lao Tzu The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities THINK ABOUT IT . . . The following suggestions are offered to people who are initially embarking upon a career or profession in any human endeavor. These suggestions are based on several assumptions. Unless you are motivated by these few basic assumptions, some of these suggestions may not work for you. Assumptions *You want to develop yourself into a productive, positive citizen. * You want to leave the world better than you found it. * You want to do things that prolong life, not things that lead to death. Suggestions 1. Develop some sense of a spiritual life. 2. Read voraciously. 3. Develop skills to communicate well. 4. Learn to use the tools of technology, e.g., computers, fax machines, Internet, etc. 5. Identify a mentor you can trust. 6. Eat well and exercise. 7. Educate yourself. 8. Don’t be intimidated by anyone or anything. Remember 1. Don’t judge your whole life by your first job. 2. Find something you like to do and make it pay. 3. Always be ready to change. (Don’t get comfortable.) 4. Never say, “It can’t be done.” 5. Take control of your own life and career (with the support of others). II- Preparation II-2 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities LITERACY “ILLITERACY IS ONE OF THE BEST-KEPT SECRETS IN THE COUNTRY,” states the brochure for the Oklahoma City Literacy Council. This brochure further states that one out of five Oklahomans can’t read. Business and government leaders are aware there is a tremendous illiteracy problem in Oklahoma and throughout the United States. Functional illiteracy is defined as the inability of an adult to read at a 6th grade level. Non-readers are hampered in their daily life because they are: Unable to fill out job applications adequately Unable to read employees’ training manuals Unable to receive promotions that require reading and writing skills Unable to adequately handle their own personal business Unable to read letters, directions, recipes, ballots, prescription labels, etc. The good news is . . . There are a variety of resources for Literacy Training: Oklahoma City Literacy Council 131 Dean A McGee Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-232-3780 Contact Person: Millon Lamb Individualized tutoring is provided by volunteers who work in local public libraries in the Oklahoma City area. Project R.E.A.D. 27 SE 15th Edmond, OK 73034 405-348-7323 Midwest City Literacy Link 8143 E. Reno Midwest City, OK 73110 405-732-2737 II-Preparation II-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Moore Literacy Council, Moore Library 225 South Howard Moore, OK 73160 405-701-2683 Contact Person: Carla Kennedy Resources for Literacy Training (continued) Norman Literacy Council, Norman Library 225 N. Webster Norman, OK 73069 405-701-2683 Contact Person: Carla Kennedy Community Literacy Centers, Inc. This center has staff trained to serve 3707 S Blackwelder individuals who have a severe learning Oklahoma City, OK 73119 disability. 405-524-7323 Contact Person: Becky O’Dell II-Preparation II-4The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities EDUCATION AND TRAINING SOURCES After identifying and assessing your employment skills and aptitudes, you will need to identify what education, training and other skills are needed to be successful in working in careers that match your employment goals, interest and aptitude. Preparation for employment is as important as deciding what career path to choose. The following list of colleges, vo-tech schools, private and trade schools will assist you in locating the source for the education/training that is required. The listing of “Degrees Offered” which follows the addresses below, is not all-inclusive. You may want to contact each educational institution listed below for a complete listing and description of the degrees and majors offered. List of Colleges, Vo-Tech Schools, Private and Trade Schools List of Colleges, Vo-Tech Schools, Private and Trade Schools Bartlesville Wesleyan College 2201 Silver Lake Road Bartlesville, OK 74006 918-335-6200 or 800-468-6292 Cameron University 2800 Gore Blvd Lawton, OK 73505 580-581-2200 East Central University 1100 E 14th Ada, OK 74820 580-332-8000 Langston University P.O. Box 730 Langston, OK 73050 405-466-2231 Mid-America Christian University 3500 SW 119th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73170 405-691-3800 Northeastern State University 600 N Grand Ave Tahlequah, OK 74464-5511 918-456-5511 or 800-722-9614 Northwestern State University 709 Oklahoma Blvd Alva, OK 73717 580-227-1700 Oklahoma Baptist University 500 W. University Shawnee, OK 74804 405-275-2850 or 800-654-3785 Oklahoma Christian University P.O. Box 11000 Oklahoma City, OK 73136 405-425-5000 or 800-877-5010 Oklahoma City University 2501 N. Blackwelder Oklahoma City, OK 73106 405-208-5000 II-Preparation II-5 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities List of Colleges, Vo-Tech Schools, Private and Trade Schools continued Oklahoma Panhandle State University Box 430 Goodwell, OK 73939 580-349-2611, ext. 374 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078 405-744-5000 Southern Nazarene University 6729 NW 39th Expressway Bethany, OK 73008 405-789-6400 Southwestern College of Christian Ministries 7210 NW 39th Expressway Bethany, OK 73008 405-772-6611 Southwestern OK State University 100 Campus Dr Weatherford, OK 73096 580-772-6611 University of Oklahoma 1000 Asp Ave, Rm 127 Norman, OK 73019 405-325-2252 University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center 1000 Stanton L. Young Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73117 405-271-4000 University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma 1727 W Alabama Chickasha, OK 73018 405-224-3140 University of Tulsa 600 S. College Tulsa, OK 74104 918-631-2000 II-Preparation II-6The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities COLLEGE - UNIVERSITY DEGREES OFFERED Accounting Agri. Ed./Science Art Education Biology Business Admin. Chemistry Communications Computer Science Comp./Mgt. Info. Syst. Criminal Justice Dentistry (Pre) Education Elec. Engr. Technology Engineering English Finance History Home Economics Humanities Journalism Marketing Mathematics Music Nursing Pharmacy Physical Education Physical Therapy Physics Political Science Psychology Sociology Speech 4-YEAR SCHOOLS Bartlesville Wesleyan College X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Cameron University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X East Central University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Langston University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Mid-America Bible College X X X X Northeastern State University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Northwestern State University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Oklahoma Baptist University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X OK Christian Univ. of Science & Arts X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Oklahoma City University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X OK Panhandle State University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Oklahoma State University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Oral Roberts University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Phillips University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Southeastern OK State University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Southern Nazarene University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X SW College of Christian Ministries X Southwestern OK State University X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X University of Central Oklahoma X X X X X X X X X X X X X X University of Oklahoma X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Univ. of OK Health Science Center X X X Univ. of Sci. & Arts of Oklahoma X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X University of Tulsa X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 2-YEAR SCHOOLS OKC Community College X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Oklahoma State Univ. - OKC X X X X X X Rose State College X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X II-Preparation II-7 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities PRIVATE TECHNICAL TRAINING SCHOOLS American Broadcasting School 4511 SE 29th Oklahoma City, OK 73115 Phone: 672-6511 Number of Students: Varies Tuition: $10,125 Class Start Dates: Every week Length of Training: 43 weeks Schedule of Classes: full time and evenings Training Offered: Radio broadcasting Email: admissions@radioschool.com The Andrews School 5601 NW 72nd, Ste 167 Oklahoma City, OK 73132 Phone: 721-3555 Number of Students: Varies Tuition: $3,800 Class Start Dates: Open Length of Training: 9-12 months Schedule of Classes: distance learning from home Training Offered: Medical transcription, medical administrative assistant, medical coding Linda@andrewsschool.com Charles Barnes School of Real Estate 300 NW 27th St Moore, OK 73160 Phone: 405-378-2100 Number of Students: 40 Tuition: Real Estate - $495; Appraisal - $795 Class Start Dates: Monthly Length of Training: Real Estate - 90 hours; Real Estate Appraisal - 75 hours Class Schedule: Part time and evenings Training Offered: Real Estate Broker License, Real Estate Appraisal and Real Estate Sales, home inspection homestudy@charlesbarnes.com Oklahoma School of Bartenders 2800 NW 36th, ste 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73112 Phone: 947-5678 Number of Students: varies Tuition: $695 Class Start Dates: Weekly Length of Training: 40 hours Class Schedule: Full time, part-time and evenings Training Offered: Professional Bartending Roger Despain School of Real Estate 401 N. Meridian Oklahoma City, OK 73107 Phone: 947-4448 Number of Students: Varies Tuition: $210 to $675 Class Start Dates: Monthly Length of Training: 15 hours to 90 hours Class Schedule: Full time and part time Training Offered: Pre-license, post license class, real estate broker class, real estate appraisal class, home inspection training. Oklahoma Technology Institute 9801 Broadway Extension Oklahoma City, OK 73114 Phone: 842-9400 Number of Students: varies Tuition: $175- $7,495 Class Start Dates: Varies Length of Training: 2 ½ weeks - 6 months Class Schedule: Full time, part time and evenings Training Offered: Microsoft Office skills, keyboarding skills, Internet, medical coding and billing, pc software applications II-Preparation II-8 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities PRIVATE TECHNICAL TRAINING SCHOOLS (CONTINUED) Guthrie Job Corps 3106 W University Guthrie, OK 73044 Phone: 800-733-5627 Number of Students: 650 Tuition and Fees: Free Class Start Dates: Open Length of Training: Up to 2 years Class Schedule: full time, residential dormitory setting. Training Offered: GED, culinary arts, welding, protection safety and investigations, facility maintenance, carpentry, plumbing, business office technology, plumbing, electrical house wiring, computer technician, business technology, health occupations ATI Career Training Center 2401 NW 23rd, Ste 14 Oklahoma City, OK 73107 Phone: 800-209-8264 Training offered: Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant, Business Administration Technology, and Network Administrtaion. Platt College 2727 W Memorial Oklahoma City, OK 73134 Phone: 749-2433 Number of Students: 300 Tuition: $7,110 - $13,345 Class Start Dates: Varies Length of Training: 32 weeks - 50 weeks Class Schedule: Full time and evenings Training Offered: Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, Surgical, Nursing, Massage, Restaurant Management, Culinary, Transcription Wright Business School 2219 W I-240 Service Rd, Ste 124 Oklahoma City, OK 73159 Phone: 681-2300 Number of Students: 350 Tuition: $9,500 to $12,000 Class Start Dates: random Length of Training: varies Class Schedule: Full time, part time, evenings Training Offered: Accounting, secretarial, clerical and medical administrative assistant, information management II-Preparation II-9The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities CAREER-TECH SCHOOL CAREER AREAS A/C Refrigeration Accounting Services Administrative Services Air Frame / Power Plant Art Auto Collision / Service Aviation (General) Aviation Maint. Technology Bldg. / Grounds Maintenance Brick Masonry Business / Computer Tech. Carpentry Child Care Clothing Prod. Management Cosmetology Dental / Med. Assisting Drafting Electricity Electronics Floral Design Food Management Hospitality Management Dev. Physical Therapy Assistant Plumbing Practical Nurse Printing Radiologic Technology Respiratory Tech. Surgical Technology Systems Management Srvs. Welding Eastern OK County X X X X X X X X X X Francis Tuttle X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Metro-Aviation X X X X Metro-Sage X X X X Metro-So. Bryant X X X X X X X X Metro-Springlake X X X X X X X X X X Mid-Del X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Moore-Norman X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X ADDRESSES OF CAREER-TECH SCHOOLS OKEastern Oklahoma County 4601 N. Choctaw Road Choctaw, OK 73020-9017 (405) 390-9591 Metro-Tech Aviation Center 5600 S. MacArthur OKC, OK 73179-8205 (405) 685-0008 Metro-Tech S. Bryant 4901 S. Bryant OKC, OK 73129-8801 (405) 605-2201 Mid-Del 1621 Maple Dr. MWC, OK 73110-4825 (405) 739-1707 Francis Tuttle 12777 N. Rockwell OKC, OK 73142-2789 (405) 717-4900 Metro-Tech Sage ( Adult Continuing Education) 201 N.E. 48th Street OKC, OK 73105-3312 (405) 424-8324 Metro-Tech Springlake 1900 Springlake Dr. OKC, OK 73111-5133 (405) 424-8324 * Visual and hearing impaired Moore-Norman 4701 12th Street Norman, OK 73069-8399 (405) 364-5763 II-Preparation II-10The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities NOTES ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ II-Preparation II-11 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities II-Preparation II-12 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities SECTION III MARKETING YOURSELF YOU ARE THE PRODUCT……………YOU ARE THE SALESPERSON The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities MARKETING YOURSELF Preparation is the key to marketing yourself in today’s employment market. You should make getting a job as your priority and you should develop a plan. Without a plan, you will eventually end up somewhere, but not necessarily at your destination. Today’s job search can be complicated because we are emerging from a period of lower employee turnover, increased number of highly motivated and well-prepared job seekers, and more employees in a state of transition. Your plan can provide you with the structure for control and your plan will come in handy when you are faced with rejection. A young man we know mailed to various firms more than 350 resumes and cover letters that only produced 3 job leads. It’s impossible not to feel the effects of rejection and frustration when you are turned down again and again. UNEMPLOYMENT LEAVES YOU OPEN FOR MANY NEGATIVE FEELINGS. UNEMPLOYMENT CAN ALSO BE VIEWED AS AN OPPORTUNITY; an opportunity to devote yourself full-time to your job marketing campaign. Rejection may also leave you frustrated and convinced that you have little to offer an employer. Don’t believe it! Your feelings are natural and normal, but don’t take yourself or the rejection too seriously. A systematic step-by-step marketing campaign, objectively and actively pursued, will see you through. Linda Haneborg, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Express Personnel Services said, “The process of evaluating an applicant begins from the moment of first contact, whether it be a telephone call, a resume or a personal meeting.” She further states that, “one of the most important rules to follow in developing a resume is to be succinct.” Keeping your resume short is imperative. Interviewers generally don’t have lots of time to read a long resume. “Resumes should never be more than two pages and should be kept to one page if possible,” says Linda. Bette Scott, associate director of Career Services at the University of Oklahoma agreed with Linda Haneborg. She states, “An employer usually spends about 30 seconds looking at a resume.” Those 30 seconds will determine if the resume goes in the trash or stays on the desk.” III-Marketing Yourself III-2The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities SOME ACTION VERBS TO HELP YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE Describe your experience in simple language using strong verbs. The following list may be helpful. These and certain “inside words” are sometimes called “buzz words” because they trigger a favorable response from knowledgeable examiners. DECISION MAKING AUDITING ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL Accept Analyze Administer Appraise Approve Assemble Engage Discharge Authorize Assist Furnish Employ Consider Changed Justify Interview Decide Compare Procure Promote Render Conclude Purchase Recruit Require Evaluate Reject Screen Solve Guide Requisition Seek Terminate Recommend Secure Select Test Report Ship Train Review Store Transfer Supply MANAGEMENT SUPERVISION PLANNING AND CONTROL HELPING Adjudicate Adhere Acquire Arrange Analyze Assess Allocate Assist Anticipate Assign Assume Contribute Approve Counsel Control Counsel Change Define Extend Give Establish Delegate Forecast Guide Evaluate Demonstrate Formulate Initiate Execute Develop Monitor Serve Manage Encourage Plan Solve Meet Exercise Progress Organize Foster Schedule Plan Maintain Meet Participate Report Request Supervise III-Marketing Yourself III-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities SOME ACTION VERBS TO HELP YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE (continued) CLERICAL COMMUNICATION EXTERNAL ACTIVITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Arrange Contact Cooperate Analyze Catalogue Critique Coordinate Define Collaborate Declare Negotiate Determine Compile Display Publicize Develop Generate Inform Represent Evaluate Organize Interpret Strengthen Identify Process Issue Investigate Speak Prepare Testify Propose Write Recommend Research III-Marketing Yourself III-4The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities PREPARING YOUR RESUME What is a resume? A resume is a self-advertisement. It is a tidy, enticing advertisement of you, and it must pass the flash test. The flash test is the 30 or 40 seconds that the reader gives the resume before tossing it into the nearest trash can. If you doubt this, consider the fact that large companies receive over 200,000 resumes in a year, even small companies get a dozen or more each week. TO PASS THE “FLASH TEST,” YOUR RESUME MUST STAND OUT FROM THE REST. How you present yourself on paper is indicative, in the minds of employers, of how you present yourself to the world. Are you careful or sloppy, clear or disorganized, verbose or succinct? And, most important of all, are you oriented toward results? After all, results are what employers care about. What you did is not as important as what you accomplished. Do You Need A Resume? The first question to ask yourself as you get ready to start your job search is whether or not you need a resume. The answer to that question depends on the kind of job you are applying for. For Example: Resume required: Professional, Technical, Administrative and Managerial jobs, Sales positions, Secretarial, Clerical, and other Office jobs. Resume sometimes required: Skilled jobs (e.g., Baker, Hotel Clerk, Electrician, Drafter, Welder); Semi-skilled jobs (e.g., Security Guard, Electronic Assembler, Janitor, etc.) Resume usually not required: Unskilled, quick turnover jobs (e.g., fast food servers, laborers, machine loaders, cannery workers, etc.) III-Marketing Yourself III-5The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Information You Will Need As You Prepare Your Resume 1. Self-Information. You need to know your job talents, work history, education and career goals. If you have completed the Self-Awareness/Self Assessment section you should have the self-information required to prepare your resume 2. Job information. Gather information about the job for which you are applying. You should know what the job duties are in order to match your skills to the skills needed for the job. The job duties are found in the job announcement. If the job announcement or ad is vague, call the employer and ask for a description of job duties. You need to know how much education and experience are required in order to match your education and experience with what is required for the job. You also need to know the salary range, the hours and shifts usually worked. Tips for Developing a Resume That Employers Will Read and Keep: Each job you apply for deserves a fresh, custom-made resume which communicates a perfect fit between your qualifications and those needed for the job for which you are applying. Type your resume (or print it on a computer printer). Use 8 1/2" x 11" quality bond white or tinted paper. Center and justify all headings. Do not use bold or bright colored paper. Do not include irrelevant personal information (age, weight, height, marital status, disability, or status of health). Do not include salary and wages received in previous job. Be positive. Point out your accomplishments. �� Use action verbs (see list of action verbs) Be specific. Use concise sentences. Keep it short. One page is best . Make sure your resume "looks good" (neat and readable). Proofread the master copy carefully. Ask someone with good reading and writing skills to proofread it carefully. Inspect photocopies for clarity, smudges and marks. III-Marketing Yourself III-6The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Take a Look at the Two Types of Resumes: 1. REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMES list jobs you have had. Your most recent job is listed first, your job before that is listed second, and so on. List the employment dates and job duties for each job. 2. FUNCTIONAL RESUMES describe your skills, abilities and accomplishments that relate to the job for which you are applying. Employment history is provided in less detail than chronological resumes. Tips for Preparing A Reverse Chronological Resume: List your jobs, starting with your present or most recent job. Give exact year for each job. Briefly describe the main duties you performed. Emphasize duties that are important for the job for which you are applying. Use simple, short, active sentences. (Refer to the list of action verbs.) Questions to ask yourself: Have you progressed up a clearly defined career ladder and are you looking for job advancement? Do you have recent job experience at one or more companies? If your answer is YES to either question, use the Reverse Chronological Resume. III-Marketing Yourself III-7 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Reverse Chronological Resume Marilyn James 1499 E. Delaware Norman, Oklahoma 73069 (405) 364-3756 Objective: To obtain a position as an Administrative Assistant in a Personnel Office. Experience: 1990 to Present Personal Secretary, Dolese Corporation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Secretary to the Personnel Director. Duties include taking dictation, word processing and scheduling meetings, and setting up interviews, distributing job announcements. 1984-1990 Secretary, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One of 25 word processors in the legal department. Duties included entering correspondence and forms on the word processor, proofreading legal documents and processing the mail. 1979-1984 Clerk Typist, Oklahoma City Public Schools, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Duties included typing forms, processing mail, establishing and maintaining filing system. 1976-1979 Receptionist, J.W. Miller, D.D.S. Norman, Oklahoma. Duties included answering the telephone, scheduling appointments, greeting patients and processing billings. Skills: Dictation Word-processing Typing Good organizational skills and effective people skills Education: Wayne High School, Wayne, Oklahoma. High school diploma and certificate from Mid-America Vocational Technical School with emphasis in business education 1975. Member, Norman Rotary Club Secretary, Norman Business and Professional Women's Club Professional Secretary Certificate 1980 References available upon request. III-Marketing Yourself III-8 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Tips for Preparing a Functional Resume: Study the duties for the job for which you are applying. Identify two or three general skills that are important to the job. Review your background and experience list prepared previously. Find talents and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to perform the job skills List your talents and accomplishments under the related job skills. Use simple, short, active sentences. Questions to ask you: Are you a displaced homemaker? Are you a veteran and want to relate your military training to a civilian job? Do you have little or no paid work experience? Do you have gaps in your work history? Is the job you are applying for different from your present or recent job? Do you want to emphasize your work skills and accomplishments instead of describing your job duties? If the answer to any of those questions is YES, use the Functional Resume. III-Marketing Yourself III-9 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Functional Resume Tom Johnson 3425 Northeast Belaire Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111 (405) 236-7697 Program Director Developed annual budget of over $500,000. Designed and implemented employee salary and performance reviews. Supervised staff. Negotiated new lease. Handled construction and decorating details in new office space and all aspects of relocation. Fund Raising Developed and implemented major programs. Wrote and presented grant proposals to major corporation. Hosted corporate grant administrators. Raised a total of $550,000. Public Relations Authored public service announcements and news releases. Appeared frequently on television and radio programs. Arranged and participated in photo sessions with public figures and media personalities. Coordinated media for major fundraising events. Consultant Consulted to state and federal legislators and agency directors on rehabilitation and mental health issues. Convention Meeting and Planning Fifteen years' experience negotiating hotel rates and making meeting and convention arrangements for groups of 10 to 3,000 on behalf of a major national organization. Employment History 1984-Present Assistant Director, Oklahoma County Mental Health Association, Oklahoma City Oklahoma. 1969-1983 Rehabilitation Specialist, Veterans Administration, Muskogee, Oklahoma. 1965-1967 Instructor, Honors English, Del City High School, Del City, Oklahoma. Education 1965 B.A., University of Oklahoma References available upon request. III-Marketing Yourself III-10The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities WRITING A COVER LETTER The goal of your cover letter is to give your reader enough information to interest him or her in looking at your resume, but not so much that the reader is overwhelmed. Address your letter to a person. Research the company to determine to whom you should address your letter. Often the head of the department where you want to work, is the best person to contact. 1130 W. 92nd Street New York, New York 11002 October 19, 1997 Mr. David Copperfield, Manager Marketing Division Hampton Corporation 1212 East Place Philadelphia, PA 20012 Dear Mr. Copperfield: In paragraph #1, state the position you are applying for and how you heard about the position or the organization. Also, if you are referred by someone, be sure to identify the person that referred you. In paragraph #2, give a concise overview of your work history and the skills you have that will help you perform the job. Refer the reader to your enclosed resume. In paragraph #3, state your confidence in your abilities and give information on how you can be contacted. This letter is in response to your advertisement for an Office Manager, which appeared in the August issue of the Washington Post. I would like to apply for this position. I graduated from Haughton Business School in May 1994. I have been working with Barnes and Noble as an Administrative Assistant since July 1994. Since May 1995, I have served as the acting Administrative Officer in her absence. I have great communication, time management and organizational skills. Also, I am proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, and Windows 95. I have enclosed my resume for additional information. Because of my past experience and skills, I feel I would be an asset to your organization. I would like to have the opportunity to meet with you personally to discuss your requirements for this position. If you have any questions, you may contact me at (203) 555-1111, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and at (203) 555-2222, after 5 p.m. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Karen J. Marshall Enclosure III-Marketing Yourself III-11 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities COMPLETING A FEDERAL APPLICATION DO's DON'Ts Read carefully the vacancy announcement for the position for which you are applying. Underline the skills required by the position. Don't use the same application for jobs in non-related fields. Don't exaggerate. Use active verbs to describe what work you actually did. Be specific. Use the first person "I." Don't ever use position descriptions. Include all experience, whether paid or volunteer. Arrange your experience in chronological order. (Starting with present and going backward.) Don't omit church, community, or club work. Attach a DD-214, if you have military service. Don't forget to include licenses, i.e., Registered Nurse, Teacher, etc. Have your application neatly typed or written so that each word is legible and all blocks are completed. Don't use general character references - they usually won't commit themselves on such matters as dependability, initiative, etc. If your application is reproduced, be sure every page is easily readable. Make certain the application is in the correct order, signed, and dated. Keep your original as a master copy. Don't submit an application that is messy, hard to read, or confusing to follow. Mention suggestions, performance and other awards including those received from church, clubs, and other organizations. State the date award was received. Don't make your application a "challenge" to the reader. Hard-to-read applications go in the "Out" pile first. Attach a transcript if you have college education that qualifies for the job. Be sure to include your GPA. Don't attach extraneous material such as job descriptions, resumes, letters of appreciation, pictures, certificates of training, etc. III-Marketing Yourself III-12 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Sample Federal Applications III-Marketing Yourself III-13The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Sample Federal Applications continued III-Marketing Yourself III-14The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Sample Federal Applications continued III-Marketing Yourself III-15 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Sample Federal Applications continued III-Marketing Yourself III-16The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Sample Federal Applications continued III-Marketing Yourself III-17The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities OPM APPLICATION HINTS OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT Jim Thorpe Building, Room B-22 2101 N. Lincoln Blvd. State Capitol Complex Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Telephone: 521-2177 APPLICATION HINTS We hope that the information listed in our publication "How Jobs Are Filled in the Competitive State Service" will answer most of the questions you may have about applying for state employment. However, we understand that you may also have questions about completing the application to ensure that you get full credit when our staff reviews it. To help you we offer the following suggestions: Hint 1 - Carefully read the instructions at the top of the application It is very important that you correctly show your social security number and mailing address. Any mistakes on your basic applicant data may slow down the processing of your application and hinder your chances for employment. Please also note that you must complete an additional form (OPM-75) if you wish to claim veteran's preference. Hint 2 - Find out the specific job title If you know about a vacancy for an Administrative Technician II in your community and you write "Secretarial" as the job title for which you're applying, chances are very good your name will not get on the correct job register for consideration. Since many state jobs are in "series," for example: Administrative Technician I, II, and III, you need to only fill out one application for Administrative Technician. You will be evaluated for all levels.. Also, be aware that many jobs have working titles that may differ from their official merit system title. A "lake patrolman," for example, is officially a Water Safety Enforcement Officer, a "boiler operator" is a Physical Plant Operator I and an "over the road truck driver" is a Senior Equipment Operator. Our staff should be able to help you find the correct merit system title if you're not sure. Hint 3 - Check the requirements listed on the job description Your application must show that you meet the minimum qualifications as stated under the "Education and Experience" section of each job description. Some jobs will also require a specialized license or certificate, for example, an Oklahoma Teacher's Certificate or a Red Cross Advanced Life Saving Certificate, etc. You must attach photocopies of your certificate when one is required for the job. Many applicants also find it helpful to attach a photocopy of academic transcripts, although this is not an absolute requirement for further processing of your application. OPM-105 (4-88) III-Marketing Yourself III-18 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities OPM Application Hints continued Hint 4 - List all relevant employment We understand that you may have more than the periods of employment which our application provides space for you to list. Please use extra sheets of paper, if necessary, to list all periods of employment which may relate to the job for which you are applying. When you do submit attachments, be sure to use the same format as that found on our application, i.e., include the month and year you started and ended each job and the average hours worked per week. Describe your major work duties clearly, but briefly, avoiding vague terms and jargon in describing your work. Be sure to treat each promotion or transfer which involved a change in work duties as a separate period of employment, even if they were with the same employer. Good Example: Employer's Name: Bitco Industries Dates employed: 3/74--5/81 Hrs per wk: 40 Title: Officer Manager Supervisor: Mr.Simon Pure, Controller Job Duties: Responsible for day-to-day management of four person office. Maintained all accounts payable and accounts receivable. Answered routine correspondence, scheduled work assignments, processed work orders, purchased all office supplies and conducted quarterly inventory. Supervised a file clerk, deliveryman and receptionist. Bad Example #1: Employer's Name: Bitco Industries 1974-1981 Job Duties: I ran the office. Bad Example #2: Employer's Name: Bitco Industries 1974-1981 Hrs. per wk: varied Job Duties: Bitco manufactures P9B Veeblefitzers which are distributed throughout the nation. I checked each L27 for its RAD number, and then forwarded to District HQ. Also developed SPAS telemarketing SOP. Hint 5 - Use of resumes Generally speaking, employment resumes are a useful tool for highlighting an applicant's background at a glance. Unfortunately, most resumes do not provide enough detailed information to allow us to assess your qualifications accurately. We strongly encourage you to use attachments in the format described above rather than rely upon a resume which may have been developed for a different purpose. III-Marketing Yourself III-19The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE When a prospective employer calls you to schedule that all important job interview what is he or she going to hear? "Hello?...Hold on a minute, I can't hear you! Sam turn that blasted TV down will you?...There, that's better. Now, who did you say this is?" Or, "Hello!...Who? Oh, yeah! You're the guy I needed to see about the job. Okay, when can I come in?" Maybe no one's home and the employer gets the answering machine: "Hello? Hello? Hello?... Fooled ya, didn't I! As you may have noticed no one is home so leave your name and number and we'll call you back." All of these examples create a poor first impression, which goes to show you that the first impression isn't always made in person. Actually your resume or application should have created a first impression, but the initial conversation is certainly more memorable for the employer. It gives him or her a "sound picture" of who you are. People tend to mentally create a face and personality to go with the voice they hear. Dialect, accent, and grammar contribute heavily to the mental image. For example, when you answer your phone and the caller says, "Hey! How ya doin'? Bernice and me ain't seen you in a coon's age! How's the little 'uns?" Do you picture a country fellow? Creating sound pictures is a natural response to anyone who answers a telephone. So, what does your sound picture convey to the listener when you call? Call your answering machine and leave a message, or use a tape recorded to tape a message. What does your tone of voice bring to mind? Someone who's impatient? Cheerful? Disgruntled? How is your grammar? Did you use proper sentences in your speech of lots of uncomfortable fits and starts like, "Um, yeah this is John. Uh, I'm calling myself Well, I uh, need to hear myself on the phone." When a prospective employer calls, he or she wants to hear someone who is polite, competent, and pleasant sounding, especially if the job requires telephone-answering skills. Try to answer with a mild "Hello." Try to set aside any irritation or stress you may be feeling before picking up the receiver. Emotions are easily recognized by the listener. Many people smile before they pick up the telephone and dial. Smiling while you speak is an old sales ploy. The smile comes across your face, if you can believe it. You probably hear smiles everyday. Telephone etiquette is an essential part of the job-search process, but it is commonly overlooked. Answering the phone is such a subconscious, thoughtless task that no one really thinks anything of it. Be warned that a prospective employer is going to notice, so that first verbal impression needs to be as well planned, proper and particular as the one-page resume you labored over for hours. Remember, this is your first verbal impression, and as the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. III-Marketing Yourself III-20The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities PREPARING FOR THE JOB INTERVIEW Many well-qualified job seekers, including college graduates are petrified by the prospect of interviewing. The solution isn't a personality change. Instead, shy job seekers need to discover ways to get noticed and become comfortable with employers prior to interviewing. Following are suggestions on how to prepare for the interview despite shyness or timidity: 1. Talk mainly with people you like. The thought of arranging networking meetings and information interviews with working professionals probably scares you because it means calling people out of the blue. You could begin with friends, family members and neighbors and ask them to introduce you to prospective employers. 2. Seek out volunteer work. Volunteering may seem like free labor, but it is actually the best-kept secret of successful job hunting. By volunteering you can demonstrate your skills and abilities without having to endure the strain and pressures of interviewing. Smart employers, in fact, search for employees through volunteer programs. They can get a much better understanding of the candidate's skills this way than through a 30-minute interview. Volunteer your services for anything that's interesting to you, then show your stuff. If you do this repeatedly and enthusiastically, you may never need to ask for a job interview. Instead, you will be offered jobs based on your work. 3. Form your own job club. Forming a job club can become your support group. You can share tips on interviewing and practice how you will respond to questions asked by the interviewer. You may want to make your "cold calls" in pairs as you gather information about companies that interest you. 4. Make sure you have all the information you need to complete a job application. You should have the names of previous employers and their addresses, your Social Security card, driver's license, military records, etc. Be prepared to provide names, addresses, phone numbers and titles of references. Be sure you have asked those individuals to give you a reference. 5. Spend a good deal of time doing research. Learn all you can about the organization(s) you want to work for and the job market in your field. Learn about their product, their image, and what they expect from their employees. Read trade magazines, business weeklies and journals. Get to know some of the people who work where you want to work and ask them lots of questions. 6. Practice your response to some of the typical questions interviewers ask. Interviewers usually ask some basic questions, such as: How has your past education or experience prepared you for this job? What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses? III-Marketing Yourself III-21The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities 6. Practice your response to some of the typical questions interviewers ask. (continued) How would you describe yourself? In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company? What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him or her. Why did you decide to seek a position with this company? If you were hiring someone for this position, what qualities would you look for? What have you learned from your participation in extracurricular activities? How do you work under pressure? Helpful Hints Here are some answers to questions you might have about the interviewing process: What is the best time of day to apply. Avoid busy periods. Place a telephone call to find out the best time for you to contact the interviewer. Should I call for more information about the job? Many employers find this practice irritating. Get additional information in person. How should I finish the interview? The same way you started it, with a handshake and good eye contact. As you prepare to leave, say, "Thank you for taking the time to see me. I sincerely hope you will consider me for this job." Should I call back after the interview? Allow a reasonable period of time, then check back. A call at the right time may place your application at the top of the pile. Should I wait for the perfect job? Look for good opportunities, but don't sit around and wait for the perfect job. Ask yourself if stalling is just an excuse to avoid trying and possibly failing. Remember that all successful people have also failed. Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs, but he also struck out 1,330 times. What if he had given up the first time he struck out? It's not easy going on a second, a third, or even a fiftieth interview, but you can't win if you don't try. So seize your opportunity! III-Marketing Yourself III-22 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities HOW DO I LOOK? According to Richard Bolles in his book, What Color is Your Parachute? Study after study has confirmed that if you are a male, you will make a better impression if: your hair or beard is neatly trimmed; you have obviously freshly bathed, used deodorant and mouthwash, and have clean, neatly trimmed fingernails; you have freshly laundered clothes on, and a suit rather than a sports outfit, and sit without slouching; your breath does not dispense gallons of garlic, onion, stale tobacco, or strong drink, into the enclosed office air; your shoes are neatly polished, and your pants have a sharp crease; you are not wafting tons of after-shave cologne fifteen feet ahead of you. If you are a female, you will make a better impression if: your hair is newly 'permed' or 'coifed'; you have obviously freshly bathed, used deodorant and mouthwash, and have clean or nicely manicured fingernails; you wear a bra, freshly cleaned clothes, a suit or sophisticated looking dress, and sit without slouching; your breath does not dispense gallons of garlic, onion, stale tobacco, or strong drink, into the enclosed office air; you wear shoes rather than sandals; you are not wafting tons of perfume fifteen feet ahead of you. III-Marketing Yourself III-23 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities TEN WAYS TO FAIL A JOB INTERVIEW It was 1:15 pm. The interview was scheduled for 1:00 pm, and the applicant was nowhere in sight. The personnel interviewer was upset. "Why can't these job applicants get here on time?" she thought. When the applicant finally arrived at 1:20 pm with a story about a broken alarm clock, the interviewer reached for an antacid and her red pen. The applicant now has two strikes against him/her. When you apply for a new position or a promotion, it is important that you know what the interviewer is looking for. We're all aware of the positive factors: enthusiasm, confidence and good sense of self are just a few. But equally important are the negative points in an interview. Any one or a combination of these negative factors can make the difference between getting the position and continuing the job search. Let's take a close look at 10 critical negative evaluation factors used by interviewers. ************************************ 1. Arriving late for the interview. In a recent survey of 140 personnel directors and managers conducted by Robert Half, International, 93% of the respondents replied that being fifteen or more minutes late for an interview meant the candidate was "taking a giant step forward remaining unemployed." An excuse won't help either. The interviewer equates lateness with irresponsibility. Plan on getting to an interview at least fifteen minutes early. 2. A "know it all" superiority complex. Nobody likes braggarts. You can be confident without being conceited. An overaggressive applicant may have problems cooperating with co-workers on the job. 3. Poor personal appearance. Dirty, wrinkled clothes, uncombed hair, dressing in poor taste, i.e., wearing a mini-skirt, or a shirt open to your navel, or using too much cologne or perfume all help you give a poor first impression. YOU NEVER GET A SECOND CHANCE TO GIVE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION. 4. Inarticulate. If you can't express yourself clearly using proper grammar and diction, you won't be able to get your strengths across effectively or communicate with others on the job. If this is your problem, take an English course; join Toastmasters and practice using language at every opportunity. III-Marketing Yourself III-24 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities TEN WAYS TO FAIL A JOB INTERVIEW (continued) 5. No career goals. This shows the interviewer you haven't put much thought into your greatest natural resource: YOU. If you haven't, why should anyone else? Do some self-examination and decide where you want to be in two to ten years. 6. Lack of enthusiasm and interest. A key to what might be a "bad attitude." Passivity during the interview impresses no one. If you can't get excited about the prospect of getting the job, don't interview for it. 7. Failure to make eye contact. Interviewers wonder if you are "trying to hide something" if you don't look them in the eye. Eye contact shows interest and care for the other person. 8. Indecision. Failure to respond decisively and timely to questions may be a sign of ill-conceived values and ideals. Know where you stand on issues and don't be afraid to express yourself. 9. Lack of courtesy and manners. A firm handshake and words like "please" and "thank you" go a long way towards convincing the interviewer you have strong interpersonal skills. Without them, doubt is created concerning your ability to meet and deal effectively with customers, superiors, and co-workers. 10. Downgrading previous employers. This may indicate that you refuse to take responsibility for your own actions. Never belittle a third party during an interview. It will come back to haunt you. If you have nothing good to say about previous employers, try to avoid saying anything. ************************************ Give this list of negative factors evaluated by interviewers some thought before your next interview. Your chances of getting the position you seek will greatly improve if you are innocent on all ten counts. III-Marketing Yourself III-25The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities CONDUCTING THE JOB INTERVIEW The big day has arrived and you've rehearsed the answers to potential interviewer questions. You've reviewed your previous work skills, college courses, volunteer work, and community involvement. You are ready to walk in and take charge of the interview because you are well dressed, well groomed, well rested and you are in a good mood. Here are a few pointers you may find helpful: Dress appropriately. Use a firm handshake. Arrive early for the interview. Remember the interviewer's name. Don't chew gum. Don't smoke. Wait for the interviewer to sit down or offer you a chair before you sit. Present yourself as an honest person; do not try to hide anything. Remember you are selling yourself. Be enthusiastic. Maintain good eye contact with the interviewer. Introduce examples of your work experience into the conversation when appropriate. Retain the interviewer's attention by varying the tempo of your speech and the tone of voice. Focus on the positive aspects of your previous jobs/classes. Do not belittle yourself or any of your previous employers. Remember your goal is to strike a good feeling in the interviewer about you. You must control the content of the interview. III-Marketing YourselfIII-26The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities When you are offered an opportunity to ask questions, be ready to ask: 1. What is a typical day like in this job? 2. Will there be opportunities for further training? 3. Who will be my immediate supervisor? 4. Will I be expected to work overtime? Weekends? Holidays? 5. How long is the probation period? 6. What are the benefits (e.g., health, life, and dental insurance)? Never be the first one to bring up salary. If a salary offer is made, be prepared to accept or reject it. You should have familiarized yourself with salaries paid in comparable jobs and you should have looked at your financial needs and have in mind the salary you need to meet your obligations. Get the interviewer's business card. Ask whom you should call if you have further questions and when will the hiring selection decision be made. III-Marketing Yourself III-27 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities DURING AND AFTER THE INTERVIEW How can you tell if you are making a good impression during an interview? Being able to read the manager's body language is very important when being interviewed for a job. By noticing the manager's actions, you can adjust your answers and demeanor to make a good impression. Here are just a few things to look for: If the manager is pleased, he or she will lean forward in their chair, look you in the eye, smile, and be friendly and attentive. If the manager is bored, he or she will probably start shifting in their chair, tapping their pen, or playing with things on their desk. If you are not capturing the manager's attention, try asking questions that will change the subject and get the manager more involved in the conversation. This should be a conversation between two people not a monologue. If the manager becomes defensive because of something you said, neutralize your comments and minimize the damage. Don't argue to prove your point. Crossing of the arms, frowning, shaking of the head and sudden hostility are all signs of defensiveness. If the manager seems distracted, he or she won't make eye contact very often, or may not seem to hear you, or might interrupt you or ask you to repeat yourself. If the distraction is very obvious, you might tactfully ask if something is wrong. The problem may not be with you. You might offer to reschedule the interview. Be courteous and don't pry. III-Marketing Yourself III-28The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities WRITING AN INTERVIEW THANK YOU LETTER After the interview, you may want to send a "thank-you" letter to your interviewer. The thank you letter provides another opportunity to present your qualifications and experience to the interviewer. The thank you letter also informs the interviewer that you are really interested in the position and it is a thoughtful touch. Sample Thank You Letter 2323 Sullivan Drive Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73119 405-555-1234 October 19, 1997 Ms. Jill Miller Director of Communications Palmer & Whitten Associates, Inc. 1899 Creighton Avenue Washington, D.C. 20003 Dear Ms. Miller, Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the possibility of joining your organization as a staff writer. Our discussion was helpful in showing how well my English degree, word processing skills and writing experience fits the position. My specific experience in writing proposals and reports for the Environmental Protection Agency would be beneficial for your new wetlands project and I would enjoy working with your staff on the project. I appreciate the time you spent with me and look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Amy C. Hemphill III-Marketing Yourself III-29The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities EVALUATING YOUR INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE At the end of your on-site interview, you need to take stock of your performance. Do you think you answered the questions to the satisfaction of the interviewer? If you were in a group interview, do you think you were poised and calm? According to the Oklahoma State Employment Service's publication, "Tips for Finding the Right Job," each interview should be a learning experience. After each interview, ask yourself these questions: What points did I make that seemed to interest the interviewer? Did I present my qualifications well? Did I overlook qualifications that were important to this particular job? Did I learn all I needed to know about the job? Did I ask all the questions I had about the job? Did I talk too much? Too little? Was I too tense? Too relaxed? Was I too aggressive? Not aggressive enough? Did I effectively close the interview with a firm handshake and "Thank You?" Did I write a thank you letter? Make a list of specific ways you can improve your next interview. Remember, "perfect practice makes a perfect performance." The more you interview, the better your performance. If you plan carefully, do your homework, practice your interviewing skills, and stay motivated, you can successfully market your job skills. You will find a job that uses your skills and pays a salary commensurate with your ability. DON'T WAIT FOR THE PHONE TO RING. If you haven't heard anything after 3-4 weeks, call the contact person; but only if you sincerely want to work for that company. GET INTO ACTION! You must keep contacting companies, researching opportunities and connecting with people in the field while you are waiting for a response from your interviewer. Putting all your eggs in one basket is unwise. Keep several irons in the fire, one will eventually pay off. III-Marketing Yourself III-30 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities INTERVIEW SELF-APPRAISAL CHECK LIST Company Name_______________________________________________________________________ Company Address_____________________________________________________________________ Interviewer's Name____________________________________________________________________ Telephone___________________________________________________________________________ Date of Interview ___________________________________Call Back Date______________________ COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING AFTER THE INTERVIEW…Yes or No 1. Did you arrive on time? 2. Were you friendly with the people you met? 3. Did you introduce yourself to the interviewer? 4. Did you state your qualifications? 5. What did you mention? 6. What did you wear? 7. Did you give the interviewer a copy of your resume? 8. Did the interviewer review your resume? 9. Did the interviewer discuss anything from your personal background? 10. What did the interviewer say? 11. Did the interviewer comments on your skills? 12. What did the interviewer say? 13. What was the interviewer's general impression of you? 14. Did he comment on your letters of recommendation? 15. What did the interviewer say? 16. Did you offer him a firm handshake? 17. Did the interviewer discuss any special problems you may have? (disabilities, transportation, etc.) 18. Did you look at the interviewer when he spoke? 19. Did you show good posture and no nervous mannerisms? 20. Did you mention who referred you or if you knew someone working at the company? 21. Did you state your desire for work and interest in the company? 22. Did the interviewer seem to like you? III-Marketing Yourself III-31 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities 23. What was discussed the most?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 24. Was there anything the interviewer disliked?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 25. What did the interviewer seem interested in?_____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ III-Marketing Yourself III-32 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities NOTES ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ III-Marketing Yourself III-33The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities NOTES _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ III-Marketing Yourself III-34 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Section IV JOB SEARCH INDEED, PERSISTENCE IS FREQUENTLY MORE IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS THAN TALENT OR SPECIAL SKILLS, AND MOST CAREER FAILURES CAN BE TRACED TO A LACK OF PERSISTENCE. The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities TIPS THAT CAN HELP WITH YOUR JOB SEARCH Make a commitment to find a job before starting the search. RESOLVE THAT NOTHING RIGHT NOW IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FINDING THE JOB YOU WANT. Identify your goals and put them on paper, whatever they are. The goals may be, "I WANT TO BE PAID WELL," or "I WANT TO BE OUTSTANDING IN MY FIELD." Seeing your goals written down can help you plan how you will achieve them. Draft a BLUEPRINT of steps needed to achieve your goals and look at the obstacles as well as the opportunities. Ask yourself specific questions about the job goal you have chosen. Establish a timeline for accomplishing each step along the way to your goal. Even if you miss the target dates, you will have established a goal. Use as many of these 13 avenues of job-hunting as possible: 1. USE THE INTERNET. 2. USE CONTACTS OF FAMILY, FRIENDS, FORMER TEACHERS 3. MAKE COLD CALLS AT PERSONNEL OFFICES. 4. GET ON STATE AND FEDERAL REGISTERS OR HIRING PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. 5. CONTACT PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICES; WORKFORCE OKLAHOMA COMMISSION, CITY AND COUNTY PERSONNEL OFFICES. 6. CONTACT TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES. 7. CONTACT LOCAL COLLEGE PLACEMENT OFFICES. 8. CALL JOB LINES. 9. ANSWER ADS IN THE NEWSPAPER. 10. PLACE YOUR AD IN THE NEWSPAPER. 11. MAIL OUT RESUMES. 12. WORK THROUGH A JOB SEARCH PROGRAM. 13. CONTACT PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES. IV-Job Search IV-2 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Finally, do not stay home waiting for job offers by mail or phone. You must attack the job market each day. MOST COMMONLY USED JOB SEARCH METHODS (The average job hunter only uses 1.6 of these 13 job-hunting avenues.) METHOD PERCENT OF TOTAL JOB SEEKERS USING THIS METHOD EFFECTIVENESS RATE* Applied directly to employer 66.0% 47.7% Asked friends about where they work 50.8% 22.1% Asked friends about jobs elsewhere 41.8% 11.9% Asked relatives about jobs where they work 28.4% 19.3% Asked relatives about jobs elsewhere 27.3% 7.4% Answered local newspaper ads 45.9% 23.9% Private employment agency 21.0% 24.2% School placement office 12.5% 21.4% Civil Service test 15.3% 12.5% Asked teacher or professor 10.4% 12.1% Placed ad in local newspaper 1.6% 12.9% Union hiring hall 6.0% 22.2% * A percentage obtained by dividing the number of job seekers who actually found work using the method, by the total number of job seekers who tried to use that method, whether successful or not. IV-Job Search IV-3 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities OKC Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Offices (OESC) NORMAN Workforce Oklahoma 1141 E. Main Norman, OK 73071 405-701-2000 405-701-2042 (fax#) OKLAHOMA CITY (Eastside) Workforce Oklahoma 7401 NE 23rd Street PO Box 30409 Oklahoma City, OK 73140 405-713-1890 405-713-1898 (fax#) OKLAHOMA CITY (Southside) Workforce Oklahoma 4509 S. 1-35 Service Road Oklahoma City, OK 73129 405-670-9100 405-670-9292 (fax#) OKLAHOMA CITY (VA Medical Center) 921 NE 13th Oklahoma City, OK 73104 (405) 270-0501, ext. 5031 or 5735 OKLAHOMA STATE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM) Jim Thorpe Office Building * Room B-22 * 2101 N. Lincoln Blvd. State Capitol Complex * Oklahoma City, OK 73105 405-521-2171 TDD 405-521-6314 FEDERAL OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM) For job information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, call 912-757-3000. With a computer modem dial 912-757-3100 * Using the Internet (Telnet only) at FJOB.Mail.OPM.Gov TDD 912-744-2299 * To request forms 210-805-2402 JOB SEARCH SITES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB There are a multitude of job search sites on the internet. You can search on http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.google.com, http://www.msn.com, and any other search engine of your choice by simply typing job search and your city in the search box. IV-Job Search IV-4 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Section V RECORDKEEPING The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities RECORD KEEPING FORMAT Organization and good record keeping are vital in your employment search. You should make copies of all letters of application and other forms sent to prospective employers. A record should also be kept of each employer contacted, date of contact, name of person contacted, date of reply, results of contact, dates of interviews scheduled and any follow-up required. You may use the following form as a sample format for developing a record keeping form. You may also want to develop a filing system of 3x5 cards containing information on each employer. Name of Company Address/Phone Date Applied Reply Date Results of Appl. Interview Date Interviewer Name & Phone Thank-You Ltr. Mailed Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc. V-Record Keeping V-2 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities RECORD KEEPING Name of Company Address/Phone Date Applied Reply Date Results of Appl. Interview Date Interviewer Name & Phone Thank-You Ltr. Mailed Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc. V-Record Keeping V-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities RECORD KEEPING Name of Company Address/Phone Date Applied Reply Date Results of Appl. Interview Date Interviewer Name & Phone Thank-You Ltr. Mailed Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc. V-Record Keeping V-4The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities RECORD KEEPING Name of Company Address/Phone Date Applied Reply Date Results of Appl. Interview Date Interviewer Name & Phone Thank-You Ltr. Mailed Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc. V-Record Keeping V-5 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities RECORD KEEPING Name of Company Address/Phone Date Applied Reply Date Results of Appl. Interview Date Interviewer Name & Phone Thank-You Ltr. Mailed Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc. V-Record Keeping V-6 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities RECORD KEEPING Name of Company Address/Phone Date Applied Reply Date Results of Appl. Interview Date Interviewer Name & Phone Thank-You Ltr. Mailed Comments: #2 Interview; Follow-up; Hired, etc. V-Record Keeping V-7The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities NOTES ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ V-Record Keeping V-8 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Section VI PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE JOB SEARCH What Job Seekers with Disabilities Need to Know Whether you are entering the work force for the first time, returning to the job market, or seeking advancement, the challenges of a job search are similar. Your goal is to find the position that best meets your needs. You must be qualified and able to sell yourself as the best applicant for the job(s) for which you apply. Here are some tips that can help you in meeting your job search goal. KNOW THYSELF Have a strong sense of who you are. Know your assets and how to market them to employers. EXPAND YOUR NETWORK Maintain and continuously strive to broaden your network. If you are working, network inside the company. Join professional groups. COMMIT TO LIFELONG CHANGE Follow job trends. Take the initiative to maintain cutting edge skills that match changing employer requirements. BE COMPUTER LITERATE Increasing your technical skills increases your marketability in the job market. Conduct online job searches. Visit employer Web pages and key job sites. RESEARCH JOB TRENDS AND COMPANIES Select targets of opportunity that match your skill areas. Request and study annual reports of selected companies. Reflect each company's image in all communications with each company's representatives. Make good use of library resources. Read trade journals and business publications. UPDATE YOUR RESUME Customize your resume to reflect the assets you bring to each job. Use keywords that can be electronically scanned by potential employers to positions you want. Reflect continuous employment in your skill area. Summer employment should support your field of interest. Volunteer or obtain temporary jobs if you are unemployed. Select a resume format that minimizes any gaps in employment. BE YOUR BEST Locating a job is a full-time endeavor. Give full attention to all that you do. HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE A pleasant personality is a necessary asset. Your eagerness to adapt and to be a team player is essential. Show that you are flexible. A sense of humor and positive attitude are pluses. DISCLOSE A DISABILITY ONLY AS NEEDED The only reason to disclose a disability is if you require an accommodation for an interview or to perform the essential functions of a particular job. Your resume and cover letter should focus on the abilities you bring to the job, not on your disability. BE ORGANIZED Have a written plan for vertical and lateral growth opportunities. Know what you must do each day to move closer to your goal. Stay focused. REMEMBER Push yourself to go the extra mile in your job search and you will find the opportunity you are seeking. BE PREPARED TO CONDUCT AN EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW Look your best from head to toe. Dress conservatively. Be brief and to the point when answering interview questions. Maintain a demeanor of success and reflect the company image when you respond. Have full confidence in what you bring to the employer and show how your skills meet the company's specific hiring needs. Ask thoughtful questions about the job and the company. NEVER say anything negative. Follow-up immediately with a thank-you letter or email transmission. VI-Persons With A Disability VI-2The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES This section is included in this publication because as persons with disabilities, we need to be aware of as many resources as possible that can assist with job search, job placement and job retention. Some of these programs or services have a long history, having been established prior to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES 3535 NW 58th, Ste. 500 Oklahoma City, OK 73112 Voice/TTY/TDD 405-951-3400 Call to find out which counselor serves your Zip Code. Toll Free Voice /TTY/TDD 800-845-8476 Service Information: This agency is made up of three Divisions: Rehabilitative Services, Visual Services, and Disability Determination. The agency's mission is to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to achieve productivity, independence and an enriched quality of life. An individual is eligible for vocational rehabilitation services if he/she: Has a physical or mental impairment which results in a substantial impediment to employment; Can benefit in terms of employment outcomes from vocational rehabilitation services; Requires vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, enter, or retain gainful employment. INDIVIDUALS WITH THE MOST SEVERE DISABILITIES RECEIVE PRIORITY IN OBTAINING SERVICES VI-Persons With A Disability VI-3The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Employment Services for persons with disabilities include: Counseling and guidance to help each person attain occupational goals Medical care and durable medical equipment needed to remove or reduce limitations resulting from disability * Prosthetic appliances such as limbs, braces, hearing aids, eyeglasses and other devices when needed to increase work capacity * Prescribed adaptive technology to increase consumer's abilities to function successfully * Tuition and fees at trade or vocational school, colleges or universities and/or on-the-job training Books and other related training expenses * Pre-vocational training through community based rehabilitation facilities Financial maintenance, transportation, tools, equipment, licenses, or initial inventory for starting businesses * Job placement and on-the-job follow-up *Consumers may be required to participate in the cost of these services, depending on their income levels. EMPLOYMENT OKLAHOMA STATE AGENCIES Persons with Severe Disabilities Employment Program Oklahoma law provides a program for persons with severe disabilities to gain access to state employment. Tests for all state jobs may be waived for those qualified applicants certified as eligible for this program through the STATE DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES. Further, agencies may hire qualified applicants regardless of whether their names appear on registers maintained by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Applicants hired through this program serve a probation period and are eligible for permanent status in the classified service upon successful completion of probation. You may hear this program referred to as Employment under House Bill 1340 because this program was established by law (HB 1340) in 1987. This program is administered by the Office of Personnel Management in the Jim Thorpe Building, 2101 N. Lincoln Blvd. OKC, OK 73105, 405-521-2177 or 405-521-6314 (TDD). THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION SERVICES CERTIFIES applicants who meet the criteria of "severely disabled." A flyer that gives the six-step process can be obtained at the Office of Personnel Management and on their website, www.opm.state.ok.us. VI-Persons With A Disability VI-4 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities This is a competitive process and there is no guarantee of being hired. Persons with disabilities do not have preference. YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM IF YOU: Have a severe physical or mental impairment which seriously limits one or more functional capacities including, but not limited to, mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance, or work skills, in terms of an employment outcome; AND Have one or more mental or physical impairments resulting from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, deafness, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, including stroke and epilepsy, paraplegia, quadriplegia and other spinal cord conditions, sickle cell anemia, specific learning disability, traumatic brain injury, end-stage renal disease; or other impairments or combinations of impairments as documented by an evaluation by Vocational Rehabilitation Services or Visual Services or the individuals' own doctor statement. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE A REHABILITATION CLIENT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM. NOTE: A person with a disability may pursue employment with the state of Oklahoma by taking merit tests and being placed on registers the same as any other applicant. ___________________________________________ SPECIAL EXCEPTED APPOINTMENT (SEA) PROJECT Employment with the Federal Government People with disabilities obtain employment with the Federal government in a number of ways - through regular competitive procedures in the same way as people without disabilities, through temporary not-to-exceed 700 hours trial appointments, and through special excepted appointments. The excepted appointment procedure was developed to provide an alternate route to employment for people with severe disabilities. VI-Persons With A Disability VI-5 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities To qualify for an excepted appointment, you must meet certain criteria: 1. Have the basic knowledge, skills and abilities for the job and be able to perform the duties of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. 2. Have an impairment, which substantially limits one or more major life activities; have a record of such impairment; or regarded as having such impairment. 3. Have a state vocational rehabilitation counselor or visual services counselor certify that you have the ability to do the job and do it without risk to yourself or others. The certification must be supported by medical documentation regarding the severity of your disability. The State Employment Services in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, and Shawnee and Federal agencies in the Metropolitan area of Oklahoma City are working together to create a pool of Federal job applicants. When an individual with a disability makes application at one of the Employment service offices, their federal job application can be considered by all agencies participating in the SEA project. Ask your State Employment counselor for a SEA project application packet. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors fill out a form in the application packet confirming that you are a person with a disability. ______________________________________ OKLAHOMA CITY SHELTERED WORKSHOPS Community based rehabilitation facilities in Oklahoma City continue to represent a major employment resource for citizens with disabilities. Rehabilitation and Visual Services promote and support community based rehabilitative facilities in their efforts to provide appropriate services to their clients. WORK ADJUSTMENT TRAINING is the major service provided by sheltered workshops which counselors can purchase for their clients from Rehabilitative and Visual Services (RVS) accredited facilities. In more recent years, Oklahoma sheltered workshops have expanded their programs to include on-the-job training in integrated settings, training for competitive employment and contracts in the private sector that provide many opportunities for employment and advancement in both the public and private sectors. OKLAHOMA GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, INC. 410 SW Third Street OKC, OK 73109 405-236-4451 Voice 405-235-4490 TDD 405-236-4451 WillPower Temporary Service VI-Persons With A Disability VI-6 The Road to Employment for People With Disabilities Service Information: Goodwill offers employment opportunities in hand assembly, retail clothing and custodial work. Goodwill offers several training opportunities: Business Office and Communication Course, Computer Literacy Program, and Work Adjustment Training. WILLPOWER TEMPORARY SERVICES specializes in placing people in temporary assignments for clerical positions. A documented disability is the criteria for Goodwill services. NEW VIEW ( formerly OKLAHOMA LEAGUE FOR THE BLIND) 501 N. Douglass Ave. OKC, OK 73106 405-232-4644 Service Information: New View is a manufacturing facility that builds wheel chocks and ladders, makes Styrofoam cups and paper bags. Most jobs are assembly or maintenance of machinery. New View must have a 7 |
| Date created | 2011-07-19 |
| Date modified | 2011-10-28 |
