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How to get that job?

An interview call brings with it lots of hopes and a promise of a great career. Now how do you ensure that the call letter gets converted into an offer letter?

In today's competitive world when everyone will put their best foot forward how can you make your presence felt? With your vision problem, how can you assure your employer that you are the 'right' candidate and you deserve the job?

We have tried to address similar and many other issues through these simple tips. You might know most of them. But this time, try them. They have worked for many, there's no reason why they won't for you.

Before the interview:

Research the company in advance. Do a search on the company through an internet search engine. Go to their website and gather information. Ask people you know who work there and get first hand information on work culture, employee expectations etc.

If possible, visit the interview venue a day earlier, so that you get familiarised with the modes of transport and directions.

Reach the venue at least half an hour in advance. This helps you keep a cool mind and relaxed.

Prepare a functional disability statement and carry it for the interview.

What's a functional disability statement?

Often, the most difficult hurdle an interviewee with a visual impairment faces is addressing the misconceptions an interviewer has regarding disability. Functional disability statements allow individuals with disabilities to address concerns or issues that prospective employers have related to hiring them.

In your functional disability statement focus on your positive attributes, do not use medical jargons, emphasize on how you can do the job using compensatory skills, address common misconceptions. The functional disability statement focuses first and foremost on an applicant's abilities: what skills or alternative techniques an individual with a disability uses to do a job in ways that a typical, non disabled person might not use. For example, the typical worker might access notes from an employer visually, whereas a blind worker might access the same kind of information by listening to voicemail or reading electronic messages.

Many employers express concerns about hiring people who are blind or have low vision. Their most common concerns are related to safety issues, travel or mobility considerations, access to print materials, and meeting production quotas (both from a quality and quantity perspective). Try answering these as well in your statement.

Employers may not know how a prospective employee with a disability uses assistive technology or specialized tools and equipment. Therefore, an interviewee may want to describe tools used for using computers such as screen reading softwares, electronic note taking devices, slate and stylus, optical devices.

A better idea would be bringing portable assistive devices to the interview or pictures of portable tools to engage the prospective employer in a 'show and tell' session. Take the case of Rajat Agarwal, a B.Com graduate who was called for the final round of an interview for a bank. Rajat impressed his interviewers by giving a live demonstration of how he could access the computer using JAWS (a screen reader) as comfortably as any body. Needless to say, the he got the job.

When you go for the interview:

Try and figure out the layout of the room so that you can navigate smoothly. Do not hesitate to ask for help. Make a mental note of the door knobs, furniture so that you can exit smoothly. Conduct yourself gracefully.

Keep your certificates and documents in a closed folder. File them or punch them in a sequence.

Be prepared to respond to: "Tell me a little bit about yourself." Here, give at least three good reasons why you should get the job. For example, "During high school, I had perfect attendance." "My co-workers say that I am an excellent programmer, and that they can rely on me to get things done promptly." "My previous employer felt that my work was exemplary and offered me a supervisory position." Be as crisp and precise as you can. Don't let your answer eat up your allotted interview duration.

Have at least one (1) job-related question. For example, "Will you be my immediate supervisor?" "Do you know on what platform your company's computers run?" "Does your company use proprietary software or software that is commercially available?"

Be prepared to respond to an interviewer's disability-related questions. Provide honest information and be prepared to demonstrate tools you use to perform job tasks or provide information about the availability of assistive devices that would enable you to perform competitively.

Thank your interviewer (by name) for his/her time. Find out the next step in the hiring process. Ask if you can check back and if so, when?

When taking leave, if unsure, ask for help or directions. You can add some wit to your question and divert the interviewer's attention away from your mobility issues. For instance, "I certainly do not wish to bump into the lady here. So can you please tell me the way to exit."

Follow up (thank-you note, telephone inquiries, visits) but don't be a pest! If you don't get the job, ask for referrals to other, similar positions.

File your interview details. Keep a note of where you were interviewed, with whom you interviewed, when you were interviewed, how and when to check back on your status in the hiring process--write it all down!

And last but not the least important tip. Do not let a failure deter you. The reasons for not getting a job could be many, several of them which you cannot control. General apathy towards physically disabled candidates, staunch views on disability could be a few. But don't let these dishearten you. Keep trying. Keep a positive attitude. The economy is booming and there are more jobs to be taken that ever before. All the best!

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Eyeway intends building a community where people can share and learn from each other. If you would like to share your experiences about employment, please send us your write-up at inspiration@eyeway.org. We shall include it as part of our website.

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