Networking Forum

I have found the government hiring process to be the most discouraging thing I havve ever encountered. They have a worse disabled hiring record than the private sector. There is this program called the LEAD Initiative, but none (and I do mean none) of the Feds hiring contacts had ever heard of it. It's supposed to fast-track disabled persons into Fed jobs, bypassing their can of worms hiring process. I gave up. Perhaps if you made a friend in the government such as a senator or congressperson

Sigh,

Peter

The single most powerful tool in a job hunt is networking. Edward should find every opportunity to talk with other IT professionals who are actively employed.. and not specifically blind or otherwise disabled. He wants introductions to other IT professionals. Join a professional association. Then keep an ear out for openings or simply opportunities where his particular skills and experience are needed.

I don't remember the statistic but more jobs are found through networking than all other methods combined.

One question: when Edward applies for government jobs, is he getting onto a register? That is, a list of people that hiring managers are rrequired to work through. Contact the particular government Human Resources department for information on that.

Nan, former content developer for eSight

If I were Edward, I would suggest contacting Bender Consulting Services, Inc., based in Pittsburgh, PA. They have several potential IT openings thoughout the country and Canada. The URL is located at www.benderconsult.com or call 412.787.8567. Good luck!

Michael R. Burks tells us that the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) has just launched a new career center/job board connecting information technology in education / e-learning professionals and employers.

The URL is jobs.aace.org/home/index.cfm

Have you tried Schedule A for Federal employment?

Let me begin with Edward's Home Base, NJ as his plight immediately raises "flags", specifically:

-the NJ Commission for the Blind/Visually Impaired has a "Job Jeopardy" Program wwhich, has received aclaim by VR professionals throughout the United States. Its premise is simple, work with the blind/low vision employee, employer and bring the necessary resources into play to aide in the employees preservation of the position; re-train the employee for other duties in the organization or, outplace if the business is experiencing a Reduction in Force (RIF).

-CBVI also has a long-standing reputation of working with public/private sector entities in the NY/NJ/Philadelphia area to develop Employment Contacts for qualified candidates. I know personally of at least a dozen individuals who have competitive employment as a result of CBVI's Executive Director, Vito DeSantis commitment to engage the public/private sectors in diversifying their workforces through employment of qualified blind/low vision candidates. If Edward has not fully investigated CBVI services or, has passed them over, it may be worth a second look to see what they can do.

-Related to the Federal government, I agree with previous post that many initiatives designed to place qualified candidates with disabilities have fallen short of the mark. In acknowledging that fact, there is one exception, i.e. seeking "non-competitive" placement. Rather than go through the competitive process and, become just another Applicant, seek out the Section 504 or other similar titled person in the Federal agency for which you have an interest. Contact this individual, making it clear you are interested in all positions that can take advantage of your Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) and, make sure this individual has a complete SF 171 and, all applicable documentation necessary to support qualifications. Check back regularly and, when that individual says "Yes, there's a position" or, you identify it on usajobs.gov in that agency, you have a step-up as your file is complete and may only need fine tuning for consideration. It also helps to have a conversation with your Congressman and U.S. Senator's Office to make them aware of your interest in Federal employment. Even better, provide them with a duplicate of the packet provided the perspective Federal employer and, ask they send a personal letter of endorsement for your candidacy. Make sure to have complete contact information when asking for this type of communication so, their representative can either call, E-Mail or Snail Mail.

-Although "networking" has already been suggested, I'd like to make several focused suggestions, i.e. when "networking" don't forget your collegiate Alumni Association and, its Membership Directory. If, they are anything like my College's Association, the Directory notes the Alumni, their current employment and other relevant factors. This is a "networking" dream as it's a ready made, customizable job search tool! Don't forget your colleagues from previous employment especially, if they've gone onto other companies. Finally, being in the NY/NJ area, the Baruche College, City University of NY, has the Computer center for Visually Impaired Persons (CCVIP). It may be beneficial to check with their Placement Counselor to see what areas are active in E and IT employment and, who they have success with in placing their students.

-A final thought, don't forget the entities whose Corporate Mission Statement includes a focus on "Employee Diversity". Many of these organizations are always seeking employees in all facets of their organizations. Again, since in NJ, you may wish to visit the Website for diversityinc.com whose Corporate Office is located in Newark, NJ. They publish a "Top 50 List" of American Corporations whose track record in "diversity" is outstanding. Their Website also updates weekly with positions and, their resources on the site are, extensive. There are similar Websites as well and, a Google Search of "Employment Diversity Programs" should yield significant information.

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