Steps Towards Employment
Are you unemployed with a disability and keen to find work?
Find a supported employment service.
(Give us a call at IASE and we will advise you!)
Getting involved in your local Supported Employment Programme will be unique for you. It will bring together the support, skills development, work experience and job search which will greatly improve your chances of finding and getting the job you want. If you are already involved in a service there may be a supported employment programme available to you. (See the section on finding your local service). You will be put in touch with an Employment Facilitator who will provide guidance and support.
Your Employment Facilitator will work closely with you and will understand your employment history and current situation. S/he will work with you to identify the skills and experience you need and the type of work that you feel is right for you.
Once you are in employment the EF will provide help, advice and support throughout the early weeks of your new career. This can include a telephone advice line, working with your employer to ensure things go smoothly, or just someone to chat with about the way things are going.
Your EF will support you in finding ways to manage your disability effectively at work. He/She can also offer help and advice on the technology you may need in the workplace, your travel to work, benefits and entitlements. The aim of supported employment is to put you in a better financial position through employment.
You will receive individualised support in many of the following areas to prepare you for employment:
- Matching your skills to job descriptions and specification
- Preparing for interviews
- Interview rehearsal (how to sell yourself)
- CV writing and job applications
- Careers Guidance
- Time management
- Developing coping strategies for employment
- Training linked to the area of employment you wish to work in
- Telephone techniques
- Effective personal communication
- Information technology development in a range of software applications
- Using the Internet
- Confidence Building
- Assertiveness
- Fear of failure
- Mood management
- Dealing with negativity
- Dealing with stress
- Step 1: Thorough preparation
Preparation is critical to how well you will perform. Employers are continually amazed at the number of applicants who reveal they do not know the basic facts about the industry, profession, organisation or job. - Step 2: Know the job
Make sure you are clear about the details of the position, especially the selection criteria. Request a position description if one hasn’t been provided, and if possible speak to someone doing similar work. - Step 3: Know the organisation
Find out specific facts about the company, eg. its key products, services and activities; recent events which have had an impact on the organisation; size; strategic direction; etc. Employers look for applicants who demonstrate genuine interest in the organisation. Information sources include annual reports, websites, business directories, trade journals and professional associations. - Step 4: Be clear about what you offer
Make sure you have a range of practical examples ready which demonstrate your skills and abilities, personal qualities and experience. For example, you may have been promoted to Store Manager in your part time retail job. This promotion demonstrates your leadership and interpersonal skills and your ability to accept responsibility. - Step 5: Anticipating questions
There is no way you can predict exactly what interview questions you will be asked, but preparing answers to likely questions can help clarify points in your own mind. ‘Rote learning’ answers is not the way to go, but there is nothing wrong with using possible questions to help refine and clarify the way you articulate your skills, experience and qualities. Try to think of a range of examples you could use to support your answers. You don’t want to simply tell the panel you have skill ‘X’, you want to prove it with concrete examples.
Example Questions
- Why should we employ you? Why do you want this job?
This is an invitation to sell yourself on the basis of your interest in the position, skills and personal qualities and how they match the employer’s requirements. The employer is trying to identify how well you understand the organisation’s needs and how confident you are of your qualifications for the job. - Why would you like to work for our organisation? What do you know about us?
This is another effort to establish what you have to offer and how your needs and those of the organisation, complement each other. - Where do you see yourself in five years time?
This question is drawing out your ambition, motivation and ability to look ahead. You need to be realistic in your expectations and demonstrate you have given some thought to your future. - What are your strengths and weaknesses?
The employer is interested in your assessment of your own abilities. Provide examples to back up your claim. When speaking of weaknesses it is best to answer in a positive way, ie. by expressing your desire to learn more about a certain area, or describing the action you have taken to address a weakness. - What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
The employer is interested to know why this achievement is important to you and what obstacles you had to overcome to succeed. - What led you to choose this career/Why are you interested in this career path?
Such questions are exploring your motivation and commitment to the work, your capacity for logical thought and your approach to decisionmaking processes.