Hello, - Get good at marketing and sales. The product you are selling is you. - Get really good at knowing when to push, and when to wait. - No doesn't always mean no if you get turned down for a position. Get good at knowing that and putting that into practice. - Get good at looking and acting confident. This might mean working on blindness skills. I don't know you, and I don't mean to offend you by that statement... but looking and acting confident, even when you're not, will help you. - Get a set of tools in your toolbox. Professional resume, good wardrobe, professional-looking bag/briefcase, knowledge and skills in a variety of systems with a variety of screen readers is probably all a good start. - Everyone, and I mean everyone you meet could be your next employer or your connection to your next employer. Don't slack off or take a break from sales/marketing. - Be willing to be uncomfortable in putting yourself out there, and being willing and able to discussyour blindness, to answer questions which might seem strange, and to generally be human and converse with people. - If able, make the offer to work for free for a period of time, or get an internship. This is more valuable than any cert. - A+, net+, security+, CCNA, MCSE certs could be valuable, but put the other things on this list higher up on your priority list. - Don't waste time applying on indeed or large employer sites, especially when starting out. Take a look at places in your area, make personal visits, maybe with a box of donuts and a resume, and offer to speak to them in person. If you want to apply online, apply with companies directly if possible. - When interviewing, you are not the only one being interviewed. Use it as an opportunity to interview them. You are having a conversation, and you are determining whether or not the employer is a good fit for you. It is a chat. A bit more formal, but still a chat. - Be willing to describe how you would complete tasks as a blind person. Even if they don't ask, they are likely curious. - Always follow up after the interview, and if you want the position, don't take no lightly. - Don't wait for any state agency to help you find work. Chances are, you may be waiting for a while, or you may end up at a position you will be unhappy with. - Look up salary trends, as well as other information about your employer before the interview. Mentioning something you learned might make them think that you are really motivated to get the position. - Always tailor the resume to the position, and include a cover letter unless they say not to. - Get involved in the community, with Senior centers, on websites, or whatever, and build up your presence so that you can use that as a form of experience if you haven't already. I went a bit beyond answering your questions about certs, but getting and maintaining employment is a bit more involved than getting the right cert, although that does help. Thanks. On Tue, Jan 7, 2020 at 2:38 PM Mike Fulton <mikefulton95@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello,
I have been subscribed to this list for quite some time but haven't posted much. My name is Mike, and I graduated with a B.S. degree in IT about a year and a half ago. I have been struggling to get a job in IT to start my career. I am now in the process of studying for my CompTIA A+ certification, and then I'm going to start studying for MCSA. I was fortunate enough to ge able to get these costs covered by my state rehab agency. I have a few questions about starting my career, and am mainly looking for pointers, tips, tricks, etc. Would you agree that I'm getting the correct certs? My goal is to specialise in sysadmin or network admin. What general tips, tricks, and pointers do you have? What screen reader have you found works best to have on a thumb drive for accessing other systems? What other tools and techniques have you found useful?
Any help and info you can provide is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance, Mike _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
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