Developing a career plan and looking for work
- Commencing The Career Development Journey
- Disclosure Of Disability
- Why Job-seekers May Choose To Disclose
- Why Job-seekers May Choose NOT To Disclose
- What To Disclose
- To Whom Should Disclosure Occur?
- The Purpose Of Disclosing
- Job-seekers: Rights And Responsibilities In Disclosing Whilst Developing a Career Plan And While Looking For Work
- Other Parties: Role And Responsibilities When Job-seekers Disclose Their Disability Whilst Developing a Career Plan And While Looking For Work
Commencing the job-searching journey can often feel like a complex and arduous procedure for all job-seekers, including job-seekers with a disability. Identifying personal career pathways, the demand for complex skill requirements, fierce competition for positions and varied or limited work experiences are just some of the issues that face people who are seeking employment.
Job-seekers with a disability also have to consider the possible or perceived impact their disability may have whilst seeking and maintaining employment. Job requirements and the fear of disability discrimination in the workplace are some of the issues that may impact on the job-searching journey for many people with a disability.
Disclosure of disability is an issue that many people with disabilities grapple with when seeking employment. Disclosure of disability should not be the focal point whilst developing a career plan and seeking employment. As with all job-seekers, the emphasis should first be on the person's skills, qualities, abilities and interests, followed by self-assessment about disability and disclosure. The following steps identify one process in developing career options for ALL job-seekers:
Commencing The Career Development Journey
1. Self Assessment
The cornerstone of any job search preparation is self-assessment.
If a job-seeker is able to describe their personality and values, reflect on the knowledge gained from previous experiences, and articulate their skills in detail, then they have the basis of knowing what they want in a job and career. This is also the basis for addressing the selection criteria in job applications.
2. Identification Of Work Preferences And Experiences
Identification of work preferences and experiences that are related to the job-seeker's interests and personal requirements such as work conditions, preferred work location, knowledge areas and education levels is required. This assists ALL job-seekers to create a balance between work aspirations and lifestyle considerations.
3. Exploration
Exploration of career fields, occupations and areas of interests assists job-seekers in formulating job options. Investigation may include seeking information about:
- occupations - job descriptions, inherent requirements of positions of employment, qualifications required to gain entry to careers, and sources of additional and related information
- industries and professions - current developments and activities in industries and professions
- labour market trends - current and projected labour market demands, recent salaries, and skills required for employment and
- training courses - information on the range of courses available through universities, TAFE, and other vocational education and training providers
- Internet and library resources
- community agencies and government and career services
- opportunities to meet with employers and employees in person.
4. Decision Making
This is the stage at which job-seeker's begin to prioritise and narrow down their options, and choose which possibilities they wish to pursue. Careers services, agencies, friends and family may assist with this process. Time is required to reflect on choices made.
5. Planning
Having decided on a career direction, identifying goals and the steps required to achieve those goals is required. Job-seeker's need to identify possible constraints or barriers they may have and suggested strategies and resources to deal with those issues, resources required and the length of time needed to achieve the goals. For job-seeker's with disabilities, identifying possible constraints or barriers may also include disability specific issues and strategies such as:
- does the job-seekers disability impact on the inherent requirements of the job
- what type of work related adjustments might be required to meet the inherent requirements of the job?
- what additional skills would be required to meet the inherent requirements of the job such as the use of assistive technology or job re-design
- identification of additional support services (if required) such as disability employment services, commonwealth rehabilitation services, counsellors etc.
6. Doing
At this stage, job-seekers need to act on the information gained, the decisions made and the steps identified to achieve the identified goals. Typical activities at this stage of the career planning process include preparing cover letters and résumés, completing application forms, and also preparing for interviews. This stage is where much of the information gained in the earlier steps can be utilised.
7. Disclosure Personal Plan
Once a career plan has been established that reflects the job-seekers skills, abilities and interests, a personal plan that outlines the choices that could be made specific to disclosure, needs to be considered by job-seekers with disabilities. Investigation of legislative rights, responsibilities, experiences of other employees and employers with disabilities, and disability services and support networks may assist in composing a plan that outlines effective disclosure strategies. This Resource may also assist job-seekers in developing a Disclosure Personal Plan.
Access to University and TAFE careers services and other specialist employment and recruitment services can greatly assist job-seekers in developing and implementing an effective career and/or Disclosure Plan.
Disclosure Of Disability
Every job-seeker with a disability is faced with the choice of whether or not to disclose their disability. Ultimately the decision is a personal one, based on a number of issues. Below are some of the considerations job-seekers may make at the time of developing a career plan and seeking employment
Why Job-Seekers May Choose To Disclose
Ursula is very keen to work with elderly people who have visual impairments and she believes her own experiences of managing a visual impairment will provide a valuable addition to her work. Therefore, she has decided to disclose her disability when speaking to prospective employers or employment agencies, to provide evidence of her skills and commitment to this work.
Job-seekers with a disability may choose to disclose their disability to:
- obtain disability specific information to assist in developing an effective career plan that addresses possible barriers and strategies
- identify disability specific employment services and support networks
- discuss employment requirements with recruitment agencies, employment organisations and/or professional registration boards
- meet with employees and employers with disabilities to obtain information, experiences and suggested strategies in seeking employment
- identify and access disability specific employment and recruitment schemes e.g. Willing and Able Mentoring Initiative
- assist in identifying disability specific positions of employment (if the job-seekers career plan is to work in a disability related employment area)
- discuss disability issues with prospective employers to determine whether the inherent requirements of the position could be met, with or without work related adjustments, and what support services and supports are available in the organisation
- Obtain information about an organisation's employment equity strategies.
Why Job-Seekers May Choose NOT To Disclose
Sean has decided to investigate all employment options that are available to him now that he has successfully completed his degree in Engineering. He has decided not to disclose his disability, because he feels that through his course he has developed a range of strategies and skills for assisting him to complete the broad range of tasks required of engineers. He has tested these skills in numerous field trips and practicums.
Job-seekers with a disability may choose NOT to disclose their disability because:
- they believe that they can manage their career development plan and job seeking activities in the same way as any other job-seekers
- they do not believe that disclosing would be effective in developing a career plan or seeking employment
- they fear that they may be treated differently or may not receive the same opportunities as other job-seekers
- they are able to access information and resources without disclosing their disability.
What To Disclose
It is not essential to disclose specific medical or personal information about a disability. A persons disability is only important in so far as it may have an impact on some aspects of the inherent requirements of the chosen career and to help identify any work related adjustments which may be required.
To Whom Should Disclosure Occur?
A job-seeker with a disability may choose to disclose their disability when developing a career plan and seeking employment. Disclosure of disability may be made to the following personnel:
- careers advisors; to assist in the development of an effective career plan and job opportunities
- disability specific employment services and support networks; to assist in job-seeking activities and opportunities and/or develop external support networks
- professional registration boards; to identify professional registration requirements
- employees and employers with disabilities; obtain specific disability and employment information, develop mentoring networks and other support structures
- disability specific employment and recruitment schemes; to take advantage of equal employment opportunities and schemes
- prospective employers; to assist in obtaining information about the organisation, the prospective position, equity programs, support structures, workplace adjustment schemes.
The Purpose Of Disclosing
The main purpose of disclosure at the point of developing a career plan and job seeking is to:
- obtain information about career options, skill requirements and career registration requirements to determine whether the job-seeker can meet the job specifications of prospective positions of employment
- assist in identifying possible work related adjustments that may be required in positions of employment
- establish external support structures to be put in place when a position of employment is made available
- develop mentoring and peer support structures with employees and employers with disabilities
- access disability specific recruitment and employment schemes
- discuss a particular position of employment with a prospective employer to obtain information about the requirements, organisational structure, and/or support services.
Disclosure is most effective when people are clear about the purpose and the desired outcomes of disclosing. This ensures that disclosure occurs with the right person, in a timely and appropriate manner and with a clear goal in mind.
"Effective disclosure begins when individuals are knowledgeable about their disability and are able to articulate both their disability-related needs and their (skills)" (1)
Job-Seekers: Rights And Responsibilities In Disclosing Whilst Developing A Career Plan And While Looking For Work
Job-seekers have a right to:
- have information about their disability treated confidentially and respectfully
- seek information from organisations about equity policies, practices and strategies from potential employers prior to applying for positions of employment. These policies and practices may be available from public organisations and larger private organisations
- choose to disclose their disability prior to applying for positions of employment to discuss specific requirements in relation to their disability or to discuss the inherent requirements of the position and how they will manage them effectively.
Responsibilities:
- job-seekers need to be aware that disclosing prior to applying for a position does not remove their responsibility in disclosing their disability once in the position of employment IF they wish to implement work related adjustments
- job-seekers with a disability need to address the essential requirements of an advertised position, regardless of the fact that preliminary discussions had occurred with the prospective employer.
Other Parties: Role And Responsibilities When Job-seekers Disclose Their Disability Whilst Developing A Career Plan And While Looking For Work
Roles:
- for support services, as identified by the job-seeker with a disability, to meet and discuss with them the identified issues and inform them about available support structures, strategies and services
- for support services to inform the job-seeker about legislative rights and the different points of disclosure in the employment environment
- where appropriate, the identified support service may start to develop a 'Plan of Action' with the job-seeker to develop strategies to meet the identified employment goals
- prospective employers and/or recruitment organisations that choose to meet with the job-seeker, are required to provide information, advice and guidance about employment opportunities in an objective, non-discriminatory manner.
Responsibilities:
- to keep all Information confidential, unless the job-seeker has provided written consent to have information disclosed to other parties such as human resources, recruitment organisations, other support services or other employment contacts
- to be non intrusive and respectful of the job-seeker's right to privacy
- if a prospective employer chooses to meet with a job-seeker prior to them applying for a position of employment, it is the responsibility of the employer to objectively provide information in a non-discriminatory manner. If the job-seeker then applies for the position, it is the employers' responsibility to objectively assess their application, as with any applicant, to determine whether they have met the criteria for the position to warrant an interview.
It is important to know that it is against Federal and State laws to discriminate against someone on the basis of their disability. The Federal Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1992 protects people with disabilities from discriminatory treatment in a range of areas including employment.
An employer's (or prospective employer's) main obligations under both the Acts are
- not to discriminate directly by less favourable treatment
- not to discriminate indirectly by treatment which is less favourable in its impact
- to make reasonable adjustments where required
- to avoid and prevent harassment.
For further information refer to:
- Disability Discrimination Act Information Sheet in this resource
- Human Rights and Equal Opportunity, Disability Rights, Employment Information website
Footnotes
- (1) Scholl & Mooney, Undated Draft Document, Disclosure in work based learning programs
http://www.cew.wisc.edu/ya/pdffiles/brief3.pdf