It may seem like an impossible task sometimes to start a career when you have a disability, it can seem like everything is against you when you are competing against what you may deem “normal” people. The truth is of course that everyone has strengths and weaknesses and as a result they are disabled in comparison to others superior abilities.
Let’s compare Stephen Hawking with Michael Phelps. Both are standouts in their careers, having tremendous success in completely different fields. Now let’s switch their careers. Let’s make Michael the professor of physics and Stephen an olympic swimmer.
Now I know the comparison is ridiculous but it helps to illustrate that just because someone is deficient in one area they can be successful in another area. Stop comparing yourself with others and focus on your specific situation. You have a responsibility to yourself, your family and your community to be the most successful you can be.
To have a successful career in today’s fast changing economically challenging world there are some prerequisites for your career. Choose a career in which you have:
- An interest in the field
Without an interest in the field you will not be able to remain motivated long enough to gain the knowledge and experience to be valuable to others. To be successful you need to be able to compete in the market with others in your field. To do that you must be willing to remain in learning mode.
Charlie Tremendous Jones in his book “life is tremendous” says work is called work for a reason. It is hard and uncomfortable. If it was fun they wouldn’t pay you to do it. There is some truth to this statement but it can be enjoyable when you have an interest in the field and believe you can make a difference for the better in it.
- Some talent which the field needs
You don’t have to be the most talented person in your chosen field but you need to have at least some talent which is valuable to the industry or field you want to enter. It does not have to be mainstream talent for the industry, for example if you are interested in golf but don’t have the ability to drive the ball down the fairway you could still be involved in the industry as a manager, designer or salesman. All of which require an in depth understanding of the game and what type of people frequent the golf course.
- The physical or mental ability to compete
Depending on your disability you may or may not be able to qualify or maintain a career in a field of interest. Being a firefighter may not be possible if you are physically handycapped or you may not qualify as a referee if you are blind. If you find it difficult to learn through coursework and prefer to be physically active then becoming a professor in physics may not be appropriate.
Once you have assured yourself you have a career which meets the above considerations you will be well on your way to a successful career. Most people let life determine their goals and success, believing that it is fate or luck which determines their success or failure. By doing the above three things you will have improved your chances of success many times.
Develop a plan to achieve the necessary requirements
Every career has some necessary requirements which you will need to have prior to achieving success. It may be knowledge, schooling, experience or skill, without these you will not have a chance of maintaining a long term career in any field.
- Research the field you want to enter
Every field is unique with different characteristics and needs. To determine what those characteristics and needs are you need to do some research. Talk to people in the industry, go to job fairs and talk to recruiters and research companies which are involved in the industry for potential career options.
You will get a better understanding of the industry, what area you are most interested in and if you are willing to do what it takes to compete in the industry. Keep notes about what you like and don’t like about the industry.
Once you have settled on an aspect of the industry you will be able to determine what the entry requirements will be for your potential career.
- List entry requirements
Now that you know what aspect of the industry you are wanting to enter, make a list of entry requirements. You can find these by pursuing job descriptions and making a list of all requirements asked for. Keep track of the requirements which are most often asked for as these will be at the top of your list of requirements to acquire first.
Ensure the list does not include things which you are unable to meet. If there are then you will either have to choose another aspect of the industry or find forms of accommodation which will enable you to compete in the career. In today’s tech world many physical disabilities can be accommodated simply through accessing the appropriate technology.
Braille computer terminals, voice to text, text to voice and remote working technologies are available if needed, just remember it is up to you to know what you need and provide as much of it as possible. Your future employer may provide some accommodations but putting the responsibility on them lowers your value to them in the short term. Take responsibility for yourself and you will be much more valuable in your chosen field.
- Develop a workable plan to acquire the necessary requirements
If you are interested in the industry you have chosen you most likely will have some of the requirements you will need but there will be some you don’t have and need to acquire. To do this you need a plan.
There are several types of things which will be on your list:
- Qualifications you will need
Qualifications are the easiest of all for most industries. There are training programs, university courses and self-driven practice and test platforms which will provide the necessary programs to gain the qualifications you will need. The main barriers for such programs are cost and time. If this is going to be a long term career choice then the expenditure may be worth it.
- Skills you will need
Skills require a bit more commitment. You will have to spend time practicing the skills you are going to be asked to do. Often the skills required to do a particular job do not agree with what you thought they were at the outset so ensure the skills you are practicing are valued in the marketplace. This is why doing research in the industry is so important. It will help you narrow down the skills which are most valuable in the industry and help you acquire these skills to make yourself much more valuable and competitive.
- Contacts in the industry
There are entire businesses based on the development of industry contacts. LinkedIn’s entire focus is to provide links between individuals from a professional perspective. The statement “It’s not what you know but who you know” has some merit. This is why developing contacts in the industry you are interested in is so important.
When building your contact base SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS DO NOT COUNT. Social media is a great way to make casual contact with others, maintain relationships with friends and family but when it comes to business having hundreds (or thousands) of contacts is not helpful nor realistic. If you can dial their phone number and they will both answer and not need an explanation of who you are then it can be considered a contact.
The best way to make contacts is to become active in the industry in any way you can. Volunteer, work as an intern, take a low level job in a business which is either in or supports the industry you want to be in. While working in the industry you will have the opportunity to meet and build relationships with influential people.
- Experience
Gaining some experience can be done again by being active in the industry. You can also practice on community projects, open source projects or by becoming involved in non-profit organizations. All these types of projects will provide you with valuable experience which are looked on favorably from prospective employers.
- Research education opportunities available to you
You may have to go to college or trade school, take a training course, learn a skill or overcome a fear of doing something (public speaking is one of the hardest). If this is necessary then it is best to do some research. Not all schooling is the same. Some programs are more or less expensive, provide work experience programs or require prerequisites.
Time could be another consideration for you so pay attention to how long a training program is before you get a chance to work in the industry.
Gain support from others
Without the support from others it is difficult to succeed no matter who you are but those who have an observable disability you will need extra support to overcome the competition for specific jobs in your chosen field. This support can come through employee programs, government subsidies and/or personnel contacts.
Some companies provide support for those with disabilities. They may provide extra training, make spaces easily accessible and provide career planning for advancement.
Take responsibility for your own success
To take responsibility for your success you will have to have an understanding of what you are shooting for. To know that you must define what you mean by success. There are many ways to define success so before you start working towards “success” determine what that is for you.
Depending on your disability, success will have some unique aspects to you. Determine what those aspects are. Having a disability does not mean you should be subordinate to others’ expectations of what you can or cannot do. This means that you will have to be responsible for your own actions, attitudes and education. Part of this is understanding what your goal is for your career.
By taking responsibility for yourself you cannot blame others for your situation but you also take control of your own success. This puts you in a strong position to become a valued person in your chosen industry.
What to do once you have landed a position
Just like anything else in life once you have secured a position in your chosen field you begin the learning process. Getting your foot in the door, so to speak, only provides you with the opportunity to show others what you can do (and at the beginning it is not much). Now is the time for you to concentrate on improving your value in the market. Develop a set of goals which are specific, measurable and achievable, compare yourself with who you were yesterday and ask for help from others often.
Having a humble and questioning attitude will help employers, fellow employees and business associates see you are interested in improving yourself and becoming more valuable in the industry. This makes you more valuable to them and helps to secure your career more than anything else possible.