Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Introduction

Teachers, transition specialists, job developers, college career office staff, and coaches can all play an important role in helping students with intellectual disabilities discover their work interests. Learning about a student can help team members identify specific career focus areas that can be explored further through career exploration activities.

These activities may include job tours, job shadowing, job sampling, informational interviews, and volunteer work. The career service office on campus can also be an important resource.

It is important that students explore different types of jobs and career fields so they can make informed decisions about the type of work they want to do in the future.

A student’s network, family network, and educator or coach network can all help identify people who may be willing to support career exploration activities.

Student Career Services

For dually enrolled students, the college career services office is a strong first stop. Students can take online career interest inventories that help identify potential career pathways.

O*NET Online: www.onetonline.org
My Next Move: www.mynextmove.org
Kuder Navigator: www.kudernavigator.com

Career services offices can also help students build job-readiness skills such as writing resumes, developing portfolios, preparing cover letters, and practicing interviewing and networking.

Career counselors may also help students connect academic course selections to career goals, identify people on campus to interview, and locate opportunities for internships, job shadowing, service learning, and informational interviews.

Story of Discovery

Kate’s Exploration Path

Kate is interested in a career involving fashion and costume design. She enjoys looking through fashion magazines, shopping for clothes, and discussing new trends.

This interest led her to take theater, costume, and stage makeup classes in college. She also completed an internship in the campus costume shop and volunteered backstage at a local theater company, where she worked with professional costume designers, actors, and producers.

Kate also found part-time work at a boutique clothing store where she and her mother were regular customers.

Business Community

The business community is an excellent place for career exploration. Local employers and nonprofit organizations can often be recruited to provide short-term career awareness activities.

Job Tour

A job tour gives the student an opportunity to visit a local business and gain an overall view of the company, its culture, and the kinds of jobs available there.

Job Shadowing

Job shadowing pairs the student with a worker so they can observe tasks first-hand and better understand the work environment.

Job Sampling

Job sampling allows students to try a variety of tasks in different work settings tied to vocational themes identified during discovery.

Informational Interview

An informational interview helps a student learn about a business or career field. The goal is to better understand the work and build communication skills and relationships.

Volunteer Work

Volunteer work can help students gain experience, build resumes, and explore different work environments in age-appropriate and time-limited ways.

Sample Questions for an Informational Interview

What steps would you recommend for building a career in this field?
How do you get started in this career?
What key skills or qualities do you look for in a job applicant?
Do workers have a set schedule, or are the hours flexible?
Would it be possible to arrange a tour of the business?

Identifying Important Factors

Environmental preferences such as noise, temperature, and indoor or outdoor settings
Work stamina and pace
Lifting and carrying strength
Complexity of tasks
Ability to self-initiate
Attention to detail
Level of communication with coworkers

Documenting the Process

Photographing activities to document preferences and successful tasks
Creating an online career exploration blog
Having students reflect on experiences through journaling

Conclusion

Job tours, job shadowing, job sampling, informational interviews, and volunteer experiences are all valuable ways for students to discover what type of work they may want to do and what they are best suited for.

Student feedback, along with observations from educators, coaches, and support staff, can help customize employment opportunities that align with the student’s strengths, needs, and interests.