What was your experience in starting a career?

Tuscany

Tuscany

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Hi there! First of all I'll explain my situation as of this moment.

Currently I'm unemployed since being laid off from my last place of work, the company outsourced all their jobs to a Chinese firm. Everyone who worked with me there had just 6 weeks notice before losing their jobs. So naturally that didn't end up too well and it's left a lot of us feeling extremely pissed off..

Since then I have searched endlessly for another job, I have more than enough skills to meet most job requirements.

- Passed all GCSE's
- 3 A-levels
- Work experience in offices, factories, plumbing, art and design etc.
- Health and Safety
- Food Safety
- First Aid Certificate
- No criminal record (just a warning for fighting in a club)

But time and time again, I have been told the usual "Sorry you're just not experienced enough, you don't meet our standards."
I then return to the same place to find out they have hired a spotty 16 year old, fresh out of school or a thug with a history of drug abuse and violence.

To see this happening has made me think "Am I being prejudiced against for my hearing impairment?"

I'm just wondering if anyone else has any experience of being prejudiced for their hearing loss in terms of jobsearching or career starting?
 
Try the deaf agency to see if they have employment availablity. It may pay low but it can leads you to somewhere else better after you learn more about yourself as a deaf person.
 
Frisky Feline said:
Try the deaf agency to see if they have employment availablity. It may pay low but it can leads you to somewhere else better after you learn more about yourself as a deaf person.
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Learn more about himself as a deaf person? HE is not the problem. They are! The companies are the ones that need to learn more about deafness.
 
Frisky Feline said:
Try the deaf agency to see if they have employment availablity. It may pay low but it can leads you to somewhere else better after you learn more about yourself as a deaf person.
Click to expand...

...eh?
I live in the Uk, there are no deaf agencies that I've ever heard of.

Learn more about myself as a deaf person?
I'm not deaf, I'm HoH..

I didn't explain myself properly, I have NO knowledge of sign language so I would actually struggle more in the deaf agencies.

I can hold conversations quite well so I think I'm being prejudiced by the fact that my hearing aids are showing.
 
Well, anything it's possible.

How long have you been searching for work?

I think that you should wait, usually it takes some time to get a new job. Even when i agree that there's a possiblity that you're being prejudiced because of your HA. What i think you can do it's being assertive about your hearing loss, like assuring them that it isn't a problem for your job performance or what accomodations you may need.

I would be very careful though, I have learnt to mistrust HR departments, and in many occasions i have felt vulnerable, because i dont know if im being discriminated or not. Im a girl and i can hide my HA with my hair, which i do in interviews precisely because i dont really trust them.

I know it is a frustrating situation, gvien that you really dont know if you are being discriminated, a HOH counsellor told me, that it's up to the employers fi they give you a chance or not. "they may give you a chance because they know how hard it is or they may think -no i want someone who has a full understanding of what's being said, or quite literally someone who dont have disability" except that of course they will never tell you that.
 
I've been unemployed for just over 2 months now, I've been for interviews but they don't seem to turn the conversation away from my hearing impairment.
Sooner or later, any topic we discuss (could be quality, past work, ability) The interviewer always seem to ask "...and how did you cope with your hearing back there?".

I don't trust HR resources either, I don't put in my CV or application forms that I'm HoH, employers don't find out the hearing aids until the interview.
 
Clau said:
I know it is a frustrating situation, gvien that you really dont know if you are being discriminated, a HOH counsellor told me, that it's up to the employers fi they give you a chance or not. "they may give you a chance because they know how hard it is or they may think -no i want someone who has a full understanding of what's being said, or quite literally someone who dont have disability" except that of course they will never tell you that.
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That is exactly right. I am deaf and there is no way I can hide that fact because of the way I speak. I've gotten jobs in the past just because the employers decided to give me a chance. I am really thankful for these people.

You will just have to wait until you get the 'right' employer that will give you a chance. For many that don't, there will be some that will.
 
MangaReader said:
That is exactly right. I am deaf and there is no way I can hide that fact because of the way I speak. I've gotten jobs in the past just because the employers decided to give me a chance. I am really thankful for these people.

You will just have to wait until you get the 'right' employer that will give you a chance. For many that don't, there will be some that will.
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Hmm, I suppose..

It's not a nice feeling though, knowing that you may discriminated against for something you can't control.
 
Tuscany said:
Sooner or later, any topic we discuss (could be quality, past work, ability) The interviewer always seem to ask "...and how did you cope with your hearing back there?".
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You might benefit from rehersing responses for inappropriate questions the interviewer might ask. Otherwise it would be natural to end up speechless or ramble after they make such a rude remark. Be brief in your answer and possibly use it as an opportunity to let them know of one of your strengths. Then immediately follow up with a question about their business to get them back on topic.

Good luck!
 
Tuscany said:
It's not a nice feeling though, knowing that you may discriminated against for something you can't control.
Click to expand...

That's why I'm in the software development field; you don't need perfect hearing to write code. My only advice at this point is to focus on jobs that don't require perfect hearing and would actually be an advantage. For example, you can do data entry, packing, etc.... If you had hearing it would be distracting.

I know it's discouraging but as long as you keep up with the job hunting something will eventually line up. If you do nothing and sit on your couch nothing will happen that's for sure.
 
Tuscany said:
...eh?
I live in the Uk, there are no deaf agencies that I've ever heard of.

Learn more about myself as a deaf person?
I'm not deaf, I'm HoH..

I didn't explain myself properly, I have NO knowledge of sign language so I would actually struggle more in the deaf agencies.

I can hold conversations quite well so I think I'm being prejudiced by the fact that my hearing aids are showing.
Click to expand...

Never too late to learn sign. Jump in.
 
Tuscany said:
To see this happening has made me think "Am I being prejudiced against for my hearing impairment?"
Click to expand...

This may be true. We all face this when searching for work. After all, the hiring process is all about discrimination, right. Everyone want's to hire the best person for the job.

It seems to me that while you do have skills they may be too broad for specific work. We live in a specialized age were a person must be specific in his/her employment effort. You need to tailor your resume for specific work instead of giving an overall view of what you can do.

There is an old saying, "If you have no destination, any road will get you there". But, you might not always like the road.

It is harder for us to get work. We must present ourselves as equally as good or better than the hearing people we compete against and this is not easy.

Have some people look at your resume and then focus on a specific plan. That is what a career is really all about.
 
A Nihilist said:
That's why I'm in the software development field; you don't need perfect hearing to write code. My only advice at this point is to focus on jobs that don't require perfect hearing and would actually be an advantage. For example, you can do data entry, packing, etc.... If you had hearing it would be distracting.

I know it's discouraging but as long as you keep up with the job hunting something will eventually line up. If you do nothing and sit on your couch nothing will happen that's for sure.
Click to expand...

I've actually thought about this.

I started thinking "Is there a career where I'm least likely to get discriminated against?"
I think teaching or social work are the best places for people like me.
 
Tuscany said:
I think teaching or social work are the best places for people like me.
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The only caveat with teaching and social work is that you do have to be able to communicate verbally with people and potential employers may not want you working with students or people and get frustrated trying to communicate with you.

As for discrimination well put it this way, would you hire a blind person to be a photographer? I know that we are all about equal rights and equal opportunity but let's face it who's gonna pay for crappy photos?
 
it's a good idea to study a career,

you gotta think about what you would like to do, what are you good at, try to get an insight about how would be doing x kind of jobs, specially from HOH people.

Some things could look discouraging, you just need to find the way. For what i have read about you, you seem to have good verbal skills, and your listening is good for conversations isn't it?

I have read about people with more difficulties who found the way to succeed. For instance a Doctor who uses an special stethoscope, an ASL Lawyer etc. Some stories are really encouraging.

Analyse very well what are you good at and what would you like.
And good luck.
 
Tuscany said:
I've actually thought about this.

I started thinking "Is there a career where I'm least likely to get discriminated against?"
I think teaching or social work are the best places for people like me.
Click to expand...

No way mate
Avoid those soul crushing careers like the plague
You'll thank me later.....
 
A Nihilist said:
The only caveat with teaching and social work is that you do have to be able to communicate verbally with people and potential employers may not want you working with students or people and get frustrated trying to communicate with you.

As for discrimination well put it this way, would you hire a blind person to be a photographer? I know that we are all about equal rights and equal opportunity but let's face it who's gonna pay for crappy photos?
Click to expand...

The thing is though.. I can talk extremely well.

I can even do impersonations or accents of different countries.

I have a severe hearing loss but I have a really good sense of "voice", it's all I focused on in years since I grew.
 
Cool, I got a mouth ol gold too. It has certainly helped talk me out of some tricky situations mainly in Mexico, ...........and Colombia..when I was young and stupid.
Anyway I lived but you may not hence don't count of it.
Trust me mate.
There's some aswome deaf chicks across the pond in the uk. Well worth the effort to pick up sign.
As for a career........
Avoid those soul crushing ones mentioned. Your young.
Go have fun
 
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