The steps it took for me to find my first full-time job (PART 1)

When it comes to living with the physical limitations a disability can bring some may believe this would take away one's ability to work. This is simply untrue as some depending on the severity of the disability can work part-time & even full-time jobs. When given the opportunity many are perfectly capable of providing for themselves and their families. Now it isn't always an easy task finding your first job, as having a disability can bring about some unique challenges. Today I aim to share with you a few of the ups & downs I faced when it came to looking for my first full-time job. You will soon find out that a little perseverance goes a long way and eventually hard work does pays off.

The Employment Supports Program: Step One

A real benefit to those with disabilities here in Ontario seeking a job is the Employment Supports Program. This is a voluntary program offered to those receiving income support from the Ontario Disability Supports Program. Taking advantage of this program offered to me helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to finding a suitable form of employment. Over a three week period I take part in aptitude testing which also helps you to discover a few of your natural talents. Many which can be a real benefit to those seeking employment. Once the testing was complete I was provided with my results and ended up with a few suggestions on what types of work I should pursue.   

Working with local Employment Service Provider: Step Two 

After my time ended taking part in the Employment Supports Program the next step for me was to choose a local Employment Service Provider, who would then take me through the next steps of looking for a job. Their main focus from the start was to help me put together a professional looking resume. The biggest issue though was my lack of work experience which left me with a bare bones resume. Next up they quickly moved on to teaching me how to search for a job online. Our focus right away was on applying for call centre jobs - one of the recommendations that came from my time in the Employment Supports Program. This is actually one form of employment that many with physical disabilities pursue. Unfortunately my journey finding work at a call centre took a lot longer than I had hoped. After a year of applying for call centre jobs with a 0% success rate, I was becoming more than just a little frustrated. Eventually we had to reach out to a local temping agency for help. Right away they were able to set me up with a short term contract position at a local call centre.

Day One: Training for my first job

 About a week later I found myself arriving for my first day of training, I wasn't even anxious about it as I was actually excited. Unfortunately when I arrived for training things didn't go as smoothly as I hoped. What happened when I first arrived is that I messed up when reaching for the front door. You see I went to grab the door after someone went in ahead of me, to my surprise it closed so quickly resulting in me accidentally slamming my thumb in the door. Next thing I know I found myself in so much pain that the thought crossed my mind for me to just call it a day and headed home. But after getting this far and working so hard I couldn't just give up. I simply decided to push through all the pain and take part in training while my thumb started to bruise up turning black & blue. Thinking back I am glad I stuck with this great opportunity as the work experience I gained gave me something to finally add to my resume. 

Please (Click Here) to continue onto Part 2

“How Perseverance & Determination led to my first full-time job."