differently abled Archives - The Voice of Job Seekers

Finding a job for those with disabilities is difficult. Finding a job when you’re not entirely sure what you want to do can be incredibly frustrating. Do your research and you’re bound to find a career that sparks your interest.

Below are some tips to help you look for a career, whether you want to go the traditional office job route or prefer something a little different—like starting your dog walking business. Take a look and maybe it will help you get closer to finding that perfect career.

Looking For a Work-at-home Job?
You could think about a career in customer service; sometimes you can even work at home remotely. Check different job boards, and they’re always filled with call center jobs. If you enjoy working with people via the telephone, that might be a great choice. There are plenty of other work-at-home jobs if that’s what you’re looking to do.

There are plenty of other work-at-home jobs if that’s what you’re looking to do.

Jobs in sales, data entry, transcription, IT jobs, and freelance writing can all be found on internet job boards. Looking at online job boards is also a great idea to see what is needed for certain types of careers. You’ll be able to see what the required qualifications are for different jobs. Some fields require you to have job experience, and some require a degree, certification, or another type of education. Education is important, whether it’s college level, continuing education, or earning a certificate. Start educating yourself as to what you need to get that dream job.

Looking for Something Different?
Want to do something different, like work outside? Find something you enjoy doing, and do your research. Do you like plants? See about working at a nursery. Do you enjoy spending time with animals? There are many different careers in animal care. You could see about a job at a veterinarian’s office. Want to work with animals and get some exercise? How about a career in dog walking or dog boarding? In both cases, you can go to your clients or have your clients come to you, and they offer a fun way to make money while staying active.

How about working with those leading an active lifestyle?

Maybe there are sports organizations in your area that may have job openings. Check out your local area, do your research, and you will find that there are more opportunities than you realize. Or do you have another idea for creating your career? Again, it is all about the research. Read about others who have started their businesses and you’re very likely to find helpful information from those who’ve done what you wish to do.

What Do You Want?
There are jobs out there. It can be tough, but keep going. Try to stay positive and don’t give up on finding the right career. The most important thing is your happiness, you need to feel good about what you’re doing. Don’t feel like you have to follow some “rule.” You can also find lots of tips for the often dreaded job interview. Do your research, know your rights, and take your time finding the right job for you.

Jenny Wise is a stay-at-home mom and home educator. She and her husband decided to homeschool when their oldest was four years old. During their journey, they’ve expanded their family and have faced many challenges. But they’re happy to have overcome each one. Jenny writes about her family’s experiences and homeschool, in general, on her new blog, SpecialHomeEducator.com.

Image via Pixabay by robynhobson

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

DylanListed, The Go To Job Site for the Differently Abled

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Among the people who have disengaged themselves from the job search, I have decided to talk about the differently-abled who wait very late in life to find jobs. Dylan Rafaty (@DYLANRAFATY), founder of DylanListed, LLC (DylanListed.com) and I engaged in a lengthy conversation with so much value, I consider this a special episode and one of the most important.

I am also asking you share this with someone with physical or non-visible disabilities, or a family member. I would love to hear your stories about your experiences with companies that hire and promote differently-abled people. Here’s how:

1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows
2) Email me: [email protected]
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

You can do this on your phone, right now, if you want. All of this is set up so you’ll have the most convenient access possible.

Let me tell you more about Dylan Rafaty. Dylan was inspired by Angies List to create an on and offline site of resources to help job seekers become more employable and find jobs. He also trains companies from how to find differently-abled job seekers, how to provide training for them, and creating a culture for them to thrive. He is very active in the community and is an enthusiastic advocate in educating and promoting job seekers who are challenged with disabilities.

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

Dylan has three disabilities yet, he was active and engaged in school activities
Strengths were quelled in the classroom as they didn’t translate there
Dylan believes those with disabilities should learn to be heard
Community college was as equally tough for him as high school
Dylan founded DylanListed months after his self-published book, Children Should be Seen and Heard
Dylan says he wished he could go back to give teachers the tools to help his learning
Among his challenges with his physical disabilities and learning challenges, he had emotional challenges
Through time tools have emerged to help employers to train differently abled
Differently abled often lack a pathway after high school
Some of the business ideas for his company comes from Angies List
His goal was to promote access to employees and job seekers
Dylan’s extensive research even led him to pitch his idea to “Shark Tank”
Although newer start-up businesses are afraid to hire differently-abled job seekers partly due to the lack of any statistics
Companies want to know what will be their return on investment (ROI), again not enough studies to show
Employers are as equally afraid of costs of making training provisions will result in high attrition—then company culture must be addressed (being accepted and welcomed)
Are they really embracing inclusion, not just diversity?
Bank of America support services in downtown Dallas focuses hiring and training differently abled. They have a very specific and detailed training manual and program, resulting in a challenging but positive work culture
Managers are trained and engaged, answer questions and encourage career growth
Dylan shares about another employer who hires the differently-abled for her company, and how she documented a detailed process of how he or she must do her job
The results of providing a detail training manual for employees is how easily he or she adapts to the company culture. The same company is supportive of their employees to move to better opportunities even if it’s outside the company
Employers are often surprised of the social benefits of working with differently-abled employees. Many managers and leaders find the interaction and collaboration rewarding
We talk about the support that Dylan has in running his company. His mother is Chief Operating Officer, and his father who owns one of the largest ice cream vendor companies in the country (400 employees), and his brother who is completing his Ph.D. at Cambridge University in London.
Dylan share the importance of family support of job seekers

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it!Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

I would still like to help self-published career professionals promote their books. If you’re interested, find more info here.

For the first time in 1 1/2 years, I am opening to career professionals to write guest articles. If you’re interested, you can go here for further topics and directions to submit.