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    Job fairs

    I use a walker to get around due to the MS. Everytime I go to a job fair,when I am next in line they say hi and ask for my resume,then say thank you. The ones before and after me that do not show there handicapped are talkedto longer.
    What can I do to get noticed and talk about the 25 years experience I have to offer??

    #2
    It is always harder for applicants with obvious handicaps -- no matter what the laws may say. The current economy makes it that much harder. Even perfect candidates, in perfect health are having trouble landing jobs.

    I worked in HR for 18 years and did some recruiting. Your attitude, wardrobe and presentation will have to be so professional and positive that they see past the walker.

    I've also been the applicant at job fairs or personal interviews with a cane or walker. It is a real challenge, and I wish you all the best.

    Lisa

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      #3
      EDUCATE THEM~! Ok.. they just may not know WHAT to say..and its obvious you have this walker, so maybe YOU bring it up first? "I bet you are noticing this walker ? Well..let me tell you in 15 secs what how well I work WITH a walker" ..or something along those lines. You could add a little humor.. (I would).

      Remember: Your "handicap" does not define you..so don't let it !!

      Good luck..and let us know ok?

      Jan
      I believe in miracles~!
      2004 Benign MS 2008 NOT MS
      Finally DX: RR MS 02.24.10

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        #4
        Hi davidlinda:
        It's interesting to me how many people think that MS is the only issue affecting their employability. The truth is that it's only one of them.

        If you have 25 years of experience. you're probably already too old and overqualified for many of the jobs you're applying for. Usually, employers at job fairs are looking for young, generic applicants who will work for the lowest wage offered. Employers who are looking specifically for people with 25 years of experience will use head hunters/placement agencies, not job fairs. One of the reasons I gave up my career is that I was competing against applicants who are literally half my age who will accept terrible working conditions that I won't put up with anymore.

        So knowing that employers are generally looking for younger employees with less experience who will take lower pay, what kind of first impression do you want to make? Your resume already tells them you're overqualified. They don't care why you're using a walker, and nothing you say will change their minds. A walker just screams "old and feeble." Can you get by with a cane, scooter or wheelchair, which might indicate physical rather then mental disability? Can you apply for jobs through a head hunter/placement agency instead?

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          #5
          Redwings- would you list some names of headhunter firms? thanks*

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            #6
            Please be careful with head hunters. In this economy its going to be tough to find work even without MS.
            If a head hunter asks for money, run. Likewise, be very careful how much personal info you give them. Hard times bring out the sharks.
            A true head hunter is paid by the employer.
            You might also want to check into a "temp to hire" agency. Ask around and verify their reputation.

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              #7
              Hi rubberlegs:
              I haven't been in touch with any headhunters or placement agencies for several years, so I don't remember any company names in particular. However, you can find them by googling terms like "executive recruiters" and "executive placement services." If you have a particular field in mind, it would probably also work to search in that field with terms like accounting or IT or healthcare or whatever recruitment or placement services. A lot of the listings on sites like Monster.com are placed by agencies, not by the employers themselves.

              As Bob698 pointed out, legitimate agencies never charge applicants for their services. Do some research on the placement firm before you apply. If something feels wrong, it probably is wrong.

              An advantage (although some people might not see it as such) to using a placement agency is that they look at the resume before they look at the person. The vast majority of applicants never even get a phone call, let alone an interview. But for those who don't, there's no doubt that it was because they didn't meet the employer's qualifications, not for other, vaguer reasons.

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                #8
                Thank you redwings!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Redwings View Post
                  It's interesting to me how many people think that MS is the only issue affecting their employability. The truth is that it's only one of them.
                  Redwings is absolutely correct!!!

                  For quite a while I consider MS to be the least of my problems as I now go past two months of being unemployed and only having ONE interview with an employer. I have submitted around 400 job submissions (which is so time consuming to create the profile on the company's web site) and nearly 100 unsolicited submissions or emails.

                  I have met with a few agencies and talked on the phone with a number of head hunters who are agressively hawking my resume to employers; interestingly, different headhunters and agencies are scrambling to be the one to get that same job opening.

                  But with so many things in life this is something where you have to "accentuate" the positive and elminate the "negative."

                  As a result, I am trying to educate and improve myself on a number of items even though I already have tons of experience and a wide set of skills.

                  I have also been told by a few agencies that they are uncomfortable with placing me because I am way over-qualified, thus I would leave the first chance I got.

                  Nevertheless, I am looking anywhere and everywhere, including agencies and headhunters. They don't make money unless I start making money for them so I am agressively pursuing that venue in addition to big, medium, and small sized employers.

                  And I refuse to allow my awful disease to be the sole reason of my unemployment.

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