Strategies for Seeking Employment

Self-Advocacy and Job-Seeking Skills

Work is a significant part of your life and it is important that you make your own decisions about what type of work you want to do. Being a self-advocate means speaking up and being in control of decisions about your life.

If your career is interesting and satisfying, it gives you a sense of purpose, enjoyment, and self-confidence. The best way to find satisfying work is to focus on your interests and the type of work you enjoy doing.

Self-advocacy also means improving your job-seeking skills so that you are more in charge of your job search. Focus on core issues first, such as improving your resume, writing a clear cover letter, and taking advantage of chances to meet people who might help you with your job search. Other important skills are how to prepare for and do well in an interview.

CareerOneStop.org has articles on job-seeking skills. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) also has a page that discusses how to prepare for a job interview.

If you need another person to help you with your job search, you can apply to work with a counselor at Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, which provides vocational rehabilitation services. Find a local Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) office.

To find other organizations that offer career counseling and employment support in Ohio, call 211 or 1-888-Ohio-211, or text your zip code to 898-211.

Disability-Related Job Resources on the Web

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) offers jobseeker services, support for independent living, and more.

CareerCircle.com connects people with disabilities to career opportunities.

DisABLED Person allows you to connect with future employers by posting your resume and finding detailed information about potential jobs.

The Workforce Recruitment Program helps connect college students and recent graduates with disabilities with federal and private-sector jobs.

Ohio Career Resources on the Web

The OhioMeansJobs website has multiple tools to help with your job search, including

• Career Preparation options
• Planning for College
• Creating a Career Profile to match your interests
• Discover your Work Values to find your best career fit
• Tips for Applying Online
• Practicing Interviewing and other skills
• Details about applying for jobs with the state of Ohio
• Links to Ohio-Based Employment Programs, and more.

To learn how to get the most out of its website, OhioMeansJobs offers a Guided Tour to Get You Started.

OhioMeansJobs Centers

You can get hands-on, practical help with your job search and career planning at your local OhioMeansJobs Center. This can include access to the internet, computers, printers, technology training, and more. Your local center can also tell you about the local employers who are hiring.

Services and availability can be different at each location; the OMJ Services Dashboard lets you see where specific services are offered.

Find an OhioMeansJobs Center near you.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational Rehabilitation services offer counseling, training, job skills, and job placement services. Vocational Rehabilitation is a term for programs that help people with disabilities become employed. In Ohio, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) offers these free services to people who qualify.

OOD can help you get training or other services you need to return to work, enter a new line of work, or get a job for the first time. Their no-cost services are carefully chosen to match your personal needs. You and your counselor work together closely to set goals and then develop a plan to help you reach them.

These are some of the specialized programs offered by OOD:

• Work Incentive Planning helps you understand what you need to do to be able to work and still get your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
• Independent Living Services give personalized support to help you adapt to the challenges presented by your disability, and to gain or maintain your independence.
• Veteran Services help military service members and veterans with assessment, career planning and counseling, and other services to reach their employment goals.
• Student Services help high school, college, and postsecondary students of all ages on their educational journey toward employment.
• Intellectual & Developmental Disability Services and the Works4Me program support people with intellectual or developmental disabilities who want to find or keep a job in the community.
• Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders counselors offer personalized support for people with disabilities related to mental health or substance use who find it difficult to get and keep a job.

Being able to use OOD services is based mostly on whether you have a physical or mental disability that makes it difficult to prepare for, get, or keep work. If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you should qualify. Other people with disabilities who do not get SSI or SSDI may also qualify.

To apply for services, check with your local Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) office or apply online by creating an OOD account.

Blind & Low Vision Services

If you are blind or have low vision, OOD's Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) can help you prepare for, find, and keep a job, and live as independently as possible. A counselor works with you to develop an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE), listing your job and career goals and the services you need to reach them. This can include:

• Assessments to identify your strengths and potential career goals
• Help finding a job, including creating a resume and practice interviewing
• Career planning and counseling
• Skill development and training
• Apprenticeships and work experience
• Assistive technology and devices
• Support for requesting workplace accommodations
• Ongoing support to keep and succeed in your job

Another option is the Ohio Business Enterprise Program, which helps people who are legally blind manage their own businesses in food service management and vending services.

To learn more about Blind & Low Vision services, apply online by creating an OOD account or contact your local Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) office.

Deaf, Hard of Hearing, & Deafblind Services

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities partners with Community Centers for the Deaf to provide support services to people who are deaf, hard of hearing or deafblind. OOD's Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf at a local Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) office in your part of the state can help you get and keep meaningful work and personal independence. This can include:

• Independent living skills training
• Interpreting and communication services
• Information about assistive technology
• Hearing aids and equipment
• Peer support programs, and more.

To apply for these services:

• Ask your audiologist to submit a referral for you and upload your latest hearing test at OODWorks.com, or
• Apply online at OODWorks.com. Tip: Uploading a recent hearing test with your online application can speed up the process.