Applying for a Job: Focus on Strengths
Jan. 2022
By NTI
If you are an American with disabilities, you might have been out of the workforce for a while and are hesitant to get back out there, but if you are ready, you shouldn’t worry about working.
By taking advantage of the wealth of information available to help you in your job search and focusing on your strengths and abilities, there is a hiring manager out there who wants to interview you.
“Gaps in your resume are an obstacle to overcome,” said Alan Hubbard, NTI’s Chief Operating Officer. “It’s understandable that people would be reluctant and worried, but there is a lot of help to getting you back to work when you are ready.”
A nonprofit organization, NTI helps Americans with disabilities find at-home jobs working in remote call centers with free training and job placement services. To register, go to www.nticentral.org.
As part of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), NTI is taking part in the “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion” theme to ensure Americans with disabilities are a major part of the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Every October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions people with disabilities have made to America’s workforce and the economy.
“You want to explain hiring you is a win-win for you and the company,” said Jonathan Kaufman, a psychotherapist, and career coach, in a Monster.com article by saying: “As long as I can adjust my computer monitor’s resolution so that I can see everything clearly, I’ll be plowing through those spreadsheets with ease.”
As an American with disabilities, you are protected by the law to prevent discrimination against you. When you are looking for a job, you want to make sure to know what the law means and what companies can ask or not ask you.
“Fortunately, a lot of companies have learned that any accommodations they have to make are done at a very little cost especially when you factor in the quality employee you are getting,” said Hubbard. “In our experience, we have seen how companies have benefited in several areas from hiring Americans with disabilities. Companies are seeing them, but we still have to get more Americans with disabilities in the workforce.”
If you are looking for a job, the important thing is to maintain a positive attitude to deal with all the ups and downs of a job search. Remember, there is a hiring manager out there who really wants to hire you.
“You want to show confidence you can do the job and you are right for the position and for the company,” said Hubbard. “By hiring you, they are going to be even a better business and reach their goals. Having a ‘can-do’ attitude is a must in any job search.”
For more than 25 years, NTI has been helping Americans with disabilities and their family caregivers find at-home work in call centers for Fortune 500, government organizations, large and small businesses. For free job training and placement services, go to www.nticentral.org.