Work Experience & Advice

Are you a young disabled person looking for work? On this page you’ll find all the basic tools you need to make an informed choice about your career options, how to a write a CV and tips on how to make a positive impression at an interview.

Remember, you have a lot to offer, so be yourself and think positively.

Choosing a career

If you’re about to leave school, it’s time to start thinking about what you want to do next. Lots of people in your position find it hard to decide what sort of work to look for so

Here are three steps to help you get started:

1: Go to people you know

When you are finding out about potential jobs, you need to use every option you can think of. A good first step is to tap into the people around you. You can start by approaching anyone you know who may be able to offer you a job or work experience – for example:

• Your mum or dad, who works as a manager
• Your older brother or sister who has a job or perhaps has a good contact with their last employer
• Your friend’s mum or dad who you think has an interesting job
• Your cousin who works in the travel industry
• Your neighbour who is a horticulturalist etc.

It doesn’t just have to be family and friends. Perhaps there’s a subject you really enjoy at school. You could speak to your teacher or career adviser about jobs that use the same sort of skills and knowledge.

The Internet or your local library can be useful, too. They may give you a lot of the answers you need to help you figure out the right questions to ask the people you plan to talk to.

2: Go to people in the know

Next, speak to the experts. This can mean people involved in a job or company that you’re interested in. There are also specialist job agents, for example:

• Careers Services offer free career advice and will help you put together a career plan. There are many different Careers Services across the country so check locally. Learn Direct operates nationally and offers free independent careers advice over the phone, online and by e-mail.
• Professional associations also tend to have lots of information. Search the Internet for the “professional association” focused on the type of business you are interested in working for e.g. Chartered Institute of Marketing, Institute of Public Relations and so on
• Read the job ads – all newspapers have them. Most ads will tell you what sort of skills and qualifications you need to do the job. Most papers have designated days when they advertise specific jobs in different types of industries e.g. health & social services, media, IT etc.

3: Look for jobs that offer you new skills

It can take time and a fair amount of trial and error to find a job you really enjoy and that you want to do for the long term. The main thing is to start with a job that can offer you new skills so that when you’re ready to move on you have something to offer potential new employers.

The right job is waiting for you, but it’s down to you to track it down. Here are some useful organisations to help you:

Connexions Direct
Connexions offer 13-19 year olds practical advice and guidance on learning and finding a career.

Support4learning
For information and links on work experience, work placements, internships, traineeships and part-time jobs.

Education and Learning
This Government site has lots of information on choosing a career or apprenticeship.

Creating your CV

So, you’ve decided to go for a job. You’ve done your homework, maybe taken a course or a qualification, and now you feel ready to start applying for work. However you look at it, the important thing now is to sell yourself and draft your Curriculum Vitae, or CV.

You need to take time to get your CV right. People who don’t know anything about you will be making a decision about whether to interview you from a couple of sheets of paper. You need to tell them why they should select you for interview.

To get started, write down the basic facts: who you are, your skills and achievements, and why you should be considered for the job. For now don’t worry about getting it all in order. Just try to think of all the positive things you can say about yourself, your skills and experience, including volunteering.

Before you start writing the real thing, make sure you have all the information to hand and set some time aside to work it up. You may not use all the information, but it’ll come in handy when you prepare for your interview.

Your CV should include:

• Personal details: your full name, address, phone numbers and email address. You can add your nationality and date of birth, but these aren’t vital.
• Education: briefly list your education history and qualifications with grades and dates (years).
• Work experience: include details of any part-time or holiday jobs, or any other work or volunteering experience. Start with your most recent job or work experience and work backwards. List your job title, the dates (month and year) when you began and finished the job, the name of the company and a brief description of your main responsibilities. Describe your work experience in short sentences using straightforward, positive language. Outline the skills you gained, what you learnt on the job and any other key achievements.
• Skills: for example IT skills (list the software packages you can use), foreign languages (including how well you speak any languages) or typing and shorthand speeds. These will set you apart from the competition.
• Hobbies: briefly list your interests, hobbies and sports as well as any major achievements. This helps employers get a sense of who you are outside of the work place.

If you want a really good CV, you will need some kind of work experience. It doesn’t matter whether it’s paid or not. And it doesn’t have to be the same kind of job that you are looking for. Voluntary work shows you’re a well-rounded person who can deal with practical tasks and have experience of a work environment. It also shows that you are motivated to start a career.

If you haven’t done any work experience start looking for some right away. If you’re a Whizz-Kidz beneficiary you might like to sign up to be an Ambassador. As an Ambassador you represent the charity and get actively involved in supporting its work in your local area. You also benefit from life skills training which include the chance to undertake a work placement.

Do’s and don’ts for a great CV

Do:

• Keep it brief – it shouldn’t be more than two pages long
• Write it in order with the most recent thing first
• Set out the information under clear headings highlighted in bold or capitals
• Make your most relevant skills (and any experience) stand out
• Focus on what you’ve achieved. List things you’ve done such as writing for the school magazine or organising a fundraising or sponsored event
• Include numbers if you can. How much money did you raise? How many people read the magazine? What other results did you achieve?
• Write with a confident tone, positive language and active words like ‘wrote’, ‘made’, ‘instigated’, ‘assisted’, ‘achieved’, ‘organised’ and so on
• Keep everything short and sweet – don’t use words you don’t really need. Lose the ‘I’s and ‘a’s, and write sentences like ‘Sold ice-creams in busy café’ or ‘Won school prize’ instead of ‘I played a part in the drama society’s summer production’
• Read and refine it again and again. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to let mistakes slip through, or to write something that isn’t clear to a person who doesn’t know you
• Get someone else to check it for you. Make sure spelling, grammar and format are consistent and accurate.

Don’t:

• Lie about your skills or other jobs – employers often run checks and will ask for references if they offer you the job
• Include a photo unless you know the employer wants one
• Use a lot of fancy fonts, italics or colours – keep it simple and clear
• Use a font size smaller than 10 point – go for at least 12 point
• Write long paragraphs and sentences – short statements or bullet points are best
• Invent a long list of hobbies to hide the fact that you’re short on experience
• Put references in your CV – although it’s a good idea to start thinking about who might be able to talk positively about you to an employer e.g. teachers or the manager of your part-time job. Be sure to tell them about it so they’ll be ready for someone to contact them.

Overall, make sure your CV is readable, well presented, and free of errors. Show enthusiasm, commitment and energy – you want to stand out for all the right reasons.

The covering letter

When you send your CV, you will need a covering letter to accompany it, to  introduce yourself and encourage an employer to look at your CV. Here are a few basic tips;

• Make sure you send it to the right person – if you aren’t sure, phone the company to check their name, address and job title
• Keep it short – definitely no more than one A4 page
• Use the first paragraph to say why you’re writing
• Don’t waffle and keep to the point – why do you want the job, why do you want to work for them, what makes you the right person
• End on a positive note – you would like to meet them and you look forward to hearing from them
• Don’t be too informal – your letter should be professional
• Again, get someone else to check it to making sure spelling, grammar and format are consistent and accurate.
• Don’t use a standard letter for every job. It will be obvious if you just change the name and the job details, and don’t give any thought to the job you are applying for. This shows no enthusiasm, and is not the right signal to send to a company. You must tailor each letter along with you CV.
• You can find templates and step by step instructions for creating a CV online, just search for ‘CV advice’ or ’CV template’

Making an impression

You’ve taken the plunge and applied for the job. You worked long and hard on your CV and covering letter. You’ve sent them off, you waited… and then they called!

Your CV is the tool that got you the interview, but it won’t land you the job on its own – now you have to show them you’re as good as your CV.

Interviews aren’t easy. In fact, they can be a real challenge. It’s normal to get quite nervous, but you still have to make the best possible impression. You need to prepare!

Preparing for the interview

• Do your homework on the company – find out about the employer and the job, log onto the employer’s website or look at news sites for the latest stories about the company. You could even visit the sites of companies that do similar types of work to find out more about what they do and check out the competition
• When you talk to them to arrange the interview, ask whether you’ll have to do a test and what it will involve
• Also, find out who will be interviewing you – get their full name and an idea of what their job
• Plan your journey so you know where to go and how long it will take – leave yourself plenty of time to get there with time to spare
• Contact the company before the interview if you need to inform then about any specific requirements

Prepare for questions that they might ask you

• Why do you think you can do this job?
• What personal qualities do you have that would be useful?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What would people you’ve worked with say about you?
• Why this job?

It’s a good idea to practice your answers. Ask a family member to run through a mock interview with you and give you honest feedback on how you come across

Plan for the interview – prepare questions that you want to ask them – have at least a handful of questions as it looks like you are keen to know more e.g.:

• What would a normal day involve?
• What are the most enjoyable and the least enjoyable aspects of the job?
• How would you describe the work culture?
• What types of training opportunities do you offer?

Read your CV and the job description the night before so you’re really familiar with what you wrote, and what they are looking for.

The more prepared you are, the more confident you will feel and appear.

On the day preparation

• Give yourself plenty of time to get ready
• Dress smartly to make a good impression
• Make sure you are presentable: clean hair, tidy nails, ironed clothes
• Make sure you have all the paperwork you need – take a copy of your CV or application form and the job description and interview letter
• Try to relax and keep as calm as you can.

At the interview

• Be polite and friendly to everyone you meet
• Be positive and cheerful
• Look interested and sound enthusiastic about the job and the company
• Sell yourself – don’t be shy about your achievements
• Don’t be afraid – if you are unsure of anything, ask for it to be explained
• When things are coming to the end, ask the interviewer what the next stage will be after the interview.

More tips:

• Enthusiasm and a positive attitude are important in an interview
• Introduce yourself courteously and professionally
• Smile and give a firm hand shake when you are introduced to people
• Listen – don’t jump in when an interviewer is speaking
• Be assertive, but not pushy
• Keep your answers to the point but don’t just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – use the opportunity to say something about yourself
• Keep good eye contact with everyone you’re addressing as well as those who are talking to you
• Thank the interviewer for their time.
• Remember to keep things in perspective. The worst thing that can happen is you won’t get the job! In fact, you may not get the first job you’re interviewed for. And it’s unlikely you’ll be offered a job after just one interview, so you’re going to have to go through the process a few times. It’s all good practice and if you can get feedback from companies that have interviewed you. Think about your first few interviews as the best possible kind of practice. That way, you’ll have a nice surprise if you do get the job! And the more you do it, the easier it will get.
• Talk to friends
• Other people’s experiences of interviewing and the work place can give you useful insight and make you think about how you can develop your approach. We can learn a lot from what other people have gone through.
• This section is dedicated to the experiences of other young disabled people. If you have your own work story that you would like to share, then go to Kids Zone

Harriet’s experience

Harriet is 16 years old and currently at school. To kick off, here is what she has to say about the time she took the plunge and did a work experience placement at a well-known home improvement store.

“I really enjoyed my work experience as it ended up giving me lots of confidence. It’s made me even more motivated to going out and getting the job I want.

During my work experience, my co-workers gave me a lot of support. They put a lot of time and effort into explaining how things work and guided me on what they wanted done. And I’m pleased to say that I am still in touch with a few of them!

One of the best parts about the experience was that it was a two-way street. My employer got something very meaningful and so did I.

Whilst I was there they realised the store wasn’t wheelchair friendly enough. As a result, changes have been made to the store. Also, the people I worked with have said that because of me, they now feel more able to relate to disabled customers.

Having had this experience, I’m now focused on going to university to study either Human Resources or Tourism. Afterwards I want to go on and work in one of these areas.

For me, working means more independence – and being independent is everything. I’m so looking forward to being able to get a full-time job when I leave university. My advice for other young people is be yourself and this will help remove any social barriers you may encounter”