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Preparing for a Career: An Online Tutorial

PDF Version (399 KB)

by Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D., Sara Lopez, and Scott Bellman

Today's competitive job market demands that students possess knowledge, skills, and relevant job experiences that will set them apart from other applicants. Career preparation activities can increase their chances of obtaining employment upon completion of high school or college. Like most high school students, teens with disabilities may think that they have plenty of time to decide on a career and acquire the skills they will need to move down that path. However, they can start exploring their career interests and developing their job skills now! Career planning and preparation should be an ongoing process throughout high school and postsecondary studies. Teenagers do not need to settle on one area to pursue right away, and they may change directions as they discover new interests.

Hundreds of websites provide information about job duties and academic requirements for specific positions, career preparation strategies, and legal issues. Most of the examples listed in this publication are geared toward secondary students who will be completing high school with a standard diploma and pursuing studies at a technical school, community college, or university. To be cautious, parents and teachers should always check out websites before recommending them to a child. They might even find that the content of a website changes over time, so a site that was once a great resource for a teenager is no longer appropriate.

Adults may enjoy exploring the sites side by side with children. As always, if they find sites that are inaccessible to someone who has a disability (for example, sites that include graphics without text descriptions or video clips without captions), they can do something about it. Adults can work with students to send email to webmasters, ask for an alternate format of site contents, and encourage website sponsors to make their pages accessible to everyone. Look at these situations as opportunities for a child to practice skills in self-advocacy, as well as advocacy for others.

The following sections include advice to a career-bound teenager or young adult. They also include examples of web resources for further exploration of the topics.

Identify role models.

Learn about successful adults with disabilities. Role models will help you set expectations for yourself.

Develop a career plan.

Make plans to consider your skills and interests, explore career options, consider academic requirements, gain relevant practical experiences, and complete a job search. Consider the advice at the following websites to help you develop a plan for success.

Search for occupations that are compatible with your skills and interests.

Consult the following websites to explore a wide variety of careers that might interest you. Learn about physical demands and skills needed for different kinds of jobs. Know whether jobs of interest are growing (e.g., computer software engineers) or shrinking (e.g., farmers, ranchers).

Explore job accommodations you might need.

Consider disability-related accommodations you may need in order to successfully complete the assignments of a job. They may involve a change in the work environment, a modification to the way a specific job function is performed, or the use of assistive technology. Consult the following websites for information about job accommodations for people with disabilities.

Research government resources for workers with disabilities.

Find out what local, state, and regional resources are available to you. The following websites are examples of government resources for employees with disabilities.

Participate in work-based learning activities.

Work-based learning opportunities can help you clarify academic and career interests, practice work-related skills, develop communication and collaboration skills through interaction with coworkers, and network with potential employers. They can also provide opportunities to determine if you can perform the essential functions of specific jobs, to practice disclosing your disability and requesting accommodations from an employer, to use assistive technology in a work setting, and to test which accommodations work best for you. Work-based learning opportunities include informational interviews, job shadows, service learning, and internships. Consult the career services office or counseling center at your school for information about work-based learning opportunities. Following are resources that describe types of work-based learning options and examples of work-based learning programs that might be available to you.

Draft a résumé.

To begin building a résumé, make a list of all relevant work experiences (paid and volunteer), academic experiences, and other activities. Consult the following resources for information about résumé content and style.

Develop interviewing skills.

It's important to make a good impression during an interview. Practice interviewing skills, perhaps with a parent or sibling. Consult the following resources for interviewing guidance.

Resources

The following general resources are good places for students with disabilities and their families and advocates to start to explore career options.

About DO-IT

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the successful participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs such as those in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. Primary funding for DO-IT is provided by the National Science Foundation, the State of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Education.

To order free publications or newsletters use the DO-IT Publications Order Form; to order videos and training materials use the Videos, Books and Comprehensive Training Materials Order Form.

For further information, to be placed on the DO-IT mailing list, or to request materials in an alternate format, contact:

Director: Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D.

DO-IT Funding and Partners

An earlier version of this content appeared in: Burgstahler, S. (2004). Preparing for a career...on the internet. Closing the Gap,23 (3).

Copyright © 2008, 2006, 2005, University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy these materials for educational, noncommercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged.

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Modified: May 7, 2008