Working Together to Build Toward Your Future

In collaboration with the Student Accessibility Services, the Florida Atlantic Career Center assists currently enrolled degree seeking students and registered alumni who have various disabilities by providing career planning services and coaching pertaining to their specific disability related issues. See department’s website here: https://www.fau.edu/sas/

 

Services Provided:

  • Major and career exploration through assessment tools.
  • Individual career coaching and career preparation.
  • Job-seeking skills.
  • Interview prep for self-disclosure skill development.
  • Interview techniques and preparation.
  • Information regarding rights, responsibilities and options for reasonable accommodation in the workplace.

 

Things to Consider

As a student with a disability there are important factors for you to consider as you search for internships or employment or apply to graduate school. You may have questions about your rights, disclosure, accommodations and which laws might apply to you. Here are some resources to guide your career:

Your Legal Rights

As a student with a disability you may have concerns about experiencing discrimination within your job search or career and what to do should it arise.  The following are resources to help you understand your rights if you encounter discrimination on an application, in a job interview or in the work place:

 

Disclosing a Disability

Issues to Consider about Disclosure

  • Prepare for how and what you might disclose: Spend some time examining your feelings about your disability. How comfortable are you discussing it? Identify accommodations you might need to request in order to perform the new position. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your disability at different points in the job-search process. (See below for tips about specific timing.)
  • If you do plan to disclose your disability: Decide how detailed you want to be. Study the job description. Be ready to describe the skills you have that make you qualified for the position and capable of doing it well. Also be prepared to discuss any limitations caused by your disability, and workplace accommodation needs. Be informative but concise, and expect to be asked questions.
  • Consider invisible vs. visible disabilities: A visible disability might put you in the position of having to discuss it. Be prepared for that. If you have workspace accommodation needs, you may want to discuss that at the same time. Be aware that some employers will make assumptions about a visible disability, so your disclosure can be an opportunity to correct any misconceptions about your ability to do the job effectively.
  • Be able to clarify workplace accommodations if you discuss them. One of the unspoken concerns some employers will have is the cost of workplace accommodations, even though they often turn out to be minimal or free. You may want to briefly explain what you need and what the costs would be (e.g., inexpensive, free, or a specific sum).
  • Preparing a script in advance can be helpful: After you've considered what you want to say, write it down. Keep in mind the potential employer wants to know 3 things: 
    1) Will you be reliable? 
    2) Can you do the job as well or better than anyone else? and 
    3) Will you be valuable to the organization? 

    Practice what you want to say until you feel comfortable with it. (See below for script ideas.) While discussing your disability, positively describe your skills. The more you focus on your disability, the more relevant it will become to the employer. The more positive you are about what you can do, the more your strengths and personality will come across over any disability issues.
  • If you decide not to disclose your disability: Be sure you can perform the essential functions of the position before accepting it. If you can't—for whatever reason—you can be fired for that later. Be aware that the employer can't make helpful accommodations unless you disclose what you might need. Also, if an emergency medical situation were to arise while you were at work, you may want to have explained what should be done to help.

Suggested Disclosure Script 
"I have ___ (preferred term for disability). I do have the skills and ability to do this job. It helps if I have ____(specific accommodations you need). I am confident I can do the job well, and I would look forward to the opportunity to contribute to ____ (organization or company name)." 

The point is that you and your future employer must both feel comfortable. 

Disclosure Timing Options: Pros and Cons 

As you read the tips below, keep in mind that some potential employers will be comfortable with your disability disclosure and some won't, no matter when or how you disclose it. What's more important is how comfortable you are. The more comfortable you are, the more likely you are to be effective in the job search, and to find a position that's a good fit. 

Disclose on Your Resume or Cover Letter

Pros: You're being honest and can have some peace of mind. Let the employer decide if disability is an issue.

Cons: Might disqualify you before you can present your qualifications. You might have a harder time finding work.

 

Disclose When an Employer Calls for an Interview

Pros: Honesty. Provides you with peace of mind. Reduces the element of surprise before you meet in person. The employer may feel more comfortable being told in advance of a potential interview.

Cons: You might not be considered as seriously. Your performance abilities may be doubted before you've had a chance to discuss them.

 

Disclose During the Interview 

Pros: Honesty. Demonstrates your confidence and poise. Allows you to explain briefly and positively in person. Discrimination is less likely face-to-face.

Cons: The surprise factor may make the employer uncomfortable. Employer may be distracted during the interview or doubt your ability to perform. Puts the responsibility on you to avoid over-explaining your disability, and to mention it at an effective time. (TIP: Bring up your disability at a natural time—when you're discussing job qualifications and duties. Be concise and focus on the positives—how well you can do the position.) 

 

Disclose After The Interview But Before You Start a Position

Pros If accommodations are needed, the employer will have a chance to arrange them before you arrive.

Cons: Employer may distrust you for waiting to disclose.

 

Disclose After You Start a Position

Pros: You get a chance to prove yourself on the job before disclosure, and discuss it with coworkers if you choose. (NOTE: If your disability doesn't impact job performance, but your employment situation somehow changes after disclosure, you may have legal recourse.)

Cons: The longer you put off disclosure, the harder it becomes. It may be difficult to reestablish trust afterward. The employer might accuse you of falsifying your qualifications. Coworkers may treat you differently and the office climate could become poor.

 

Disclose After a Job-Related Problem Cause by Disability

Pros: You've had a chance to prove yourself on the job before disclosure.

Cons:  Employer might accuse you of falsifying your qualifications. If you disclose now (rather than never), the employer may think you're unable to perform the essential job duties. Relationships with your coworkers or supervisor may be hurt if they feel you haven't been honest. 

 

Resources

Disability Friendly Job Boards

  1. Handshake - FAU’s centralized online job search portal. It is available to all currently enrolled degree-seeking FAU students and registered alum and allows you to: Search for job postings for full-time, part-time, and Co-op & internship opportunities; Submit resumes to employers; Apply for on-campus interviews; Have employers view your resume and profile; and stay informed of career events.
  2. Entry Point - Internship opportunities for students with disabilities in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business
  3. Volunteer Match - Matches volunteers with opportunities.
  4. Autism Friendly Businesses - https://www.fau.edu/education/centersandprograms/card/autism-friendly-business-directory/
  5. Disability Solutions - https://jobs.disabilitytalent.org/
  6. Ability Jobs - https://abilityjobs.com/
  7. Equal Opportunity Publications, Inc. - https://eop.com/career-center/
  8. Career One Stop - https://www.careeronestop.org/ResourcesFor/WorkersWithDisabilities/job-search.aspx

 

Career Exploration and Preparation

  1. The Sierra Group Recruit Disability - The first step for any job seeker with a disability.
  2. Stand Among Friends - Stand Among Friends is a non-profit organization located on FAU’s Boca Raton campus that helps college students and adults with disabilities prepare for, seek and secure active employment.
  3. Careers and the Disabled Magazine - established in 1986, is the nation's first and only career-guidance and recruitment magazine for people with disabilities who are at undergraduate, graduate, or professional levels. Each issue features a special Braille section.
  4. DO-IT - For people with disabilities pursuing college and careers in the fields of business, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
  5. Hire Disability Solutions - Empowers individuals with disabilities to reach their goals by providing them with the tools to succeed. They present information and resources for individuals to connect with employers, build their skills, and discover the feeling of accomplishment.
  6. Job Accommodation Network - International toll-free consulting service that provides information about job accommodations, the employability of people who have disabilities, and other information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act.

 

Professional Networking and Campus Involvement

  1. Professional associations are groups of people who work in a specific industry or field of study. Meeting with other students or professionals who have successfully made the transition from student to professional is a great way to gain useful information and network. Create an account on the online professional networking site LinkedIn and join groups.
  2. Attend career fairs, organization information sessions/networking events, and employer panels to expand your professional network. View campus events on FAU’s calendar of events.

The following are resources focused on mentorship programs:

American Association of People with Disabilities
Advancing Science, Serving Society
National Organization on Disability
Independent Living Institute Global Networking
World Institute on Disability

 

Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

  1. Public Service Degrees - https://www.publicservicedegrees.org/financial-aid/scholarships/students-with-disabilities/
  2. Career One Stop - https://www.careeronestop.org/ResourcesFor/WorkersWithDisabilities/job-search.aspx

 

Premium Resources

  1. Big Interview - Big Interview is a free premium resource exclusive to Florida Atlantic students and alumni. To access our Practice tools, click on the Practice tab. We have four different tools in this area: Practice Interviews, Answer Builder, Interview Roulette, and the Question Library. As a premium user, you have access to the AI Feedback. The AI Feedback feature is a great way to improve your interviewing skills and pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. When you save a video, the AI will process your video and then offer you immediate feedback on key behaviors and coaching on how to improve. At the conclusion of your practice interview, you can review your responses and save or rerecord them.

    To get Started:

    Go to https://fau.biginterview.com/.

    Click Register at the upper right hand corner, and make sure to use your FAU e-mail address when creating your account. When you log in, you will see a dashboard where you can watch overview videos for an introduction to the platform. On the Dashboard you will also be presented with recommended learning tracks and practice tools. Questions? Check out the Student User Guide or contact the Career Center!

  2. LinkedIn Learning - LinkedIn Learning is a leading online learning platform assisting active FAU students, faculty, and staff to discover and develop skills through an online library of high-quality expert-led videos and courses. To start using LinkedIn Learning, log in using your FAU username and password to activate your Account: https://www.fau.edu/linkedin-learning/
  3. JobScan - Jobscan is a resume software tool that analyzes your resume for how it would perform in an ATS. The premium Jobscan account will allow you to perform unlimited scans of your resume to see how it performs in various Applicant Tracking Systems. In order to use Jobscan, you will create an account using your FAU email address. By using your FAU email address, you will be able to get all of the premium features, including unlimited resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile scans. Access it here: https://app.jobscan.co/dashboard