working with disabilities

Bethanc

does anyone else feel its harder to get a job when you are disabled? I have two degrees and I do a lot  of volunteer work but i cant seem to get a paid position even when its similar to what i already do for free I  get that  I dont have a lot of  employment experience but how do you get experience if nobody hires you in the first place  I worry about whether i can become financially independent its depressing 

Rosie_Scope

Hi @Bethanc, welcome to the community. Sorry to hear you're not having much luck finding a job. I can understand the frustration, it's really rubbish going through all the applications and feeling like you're not getting anywhere despite having relevant experience from your volunteering.

Scope have a some employment services you might be interested in, I know a few people have found them really helpful. There's also a list of disability friendly employers and job boards that you might like to read through.

What kind of work are you hoping to get into?

EssenceButterfly66

Bethanc said:

does anyone else feel its harder to get a job when you are disabled? I have two degrees and I do a lot  of volunteer work but i cant seem to get a paid position even when its similar to what i already do for free I  get that  I dont have a lot of  employment experience but how do you get experience if nobody hires you in the first place  I worry about whether i can become financially independent its depressing 

It can be hard, even when u see applications where the Employer is 'Disability Confident', still don't get the job. I have found that my Careers Wales has funding for self employment or social enterprise. Maybe this might be the way, with ur vast experience and explore gaps with ur skills to set this up 

EssenceButterfly66

I have to attend Kidney Dialysis 3 times a week. I have tried to find work, but Employers are more recently ghosting me and not giving feedback. I know I have done well at interview, but they're are not willing to accommodate me and do not understand that if I don't attend Dialysis, I would die. If I had cancer, I would be more employable, no offence. 
Up until Jan 2024, hybrid work or Work from Home was easy to find. Not anymore. 
So, I am waiting to hear from a part time work placement, even though I have alot experience. Reduction in Pay, to become employable. 

Albus_Alumni

Welcome to the community @EssenceButterfly66 sorry to hear you've not had much luck on the work front.  The jobs sector currently is in a sorry state, but there are work from home jobs out there, it unfortunately takes a while finding them. Best of luck for the placement! 

Bethanc

i seem to get a lot of interviews but afterwards  either hear nothing ever again or they say they chose someone with more experience I do think my lack of experience / confidence is a factor but sometimes I think its at least partially because I have cerebral palsy and they want a reason to say no after seeing that the only paid job i got was as a  waitress ?? which of course I was terrible at because cerebral palsy and i would drop things and  people would laugh at me bad time! 

Adrian_Scope

Afternoon @bethanc. I'm so sorry to read about your waitressing experience, I can't imagine that's helped your confidence at all.
Unfortunately, at least from my own experience, there does seem to be a high volume of applicants for every job role advertised, so it's really finding a way to make yourself stand out. Have you done much interview preparation ahead of these interviews? I don't know if you've tried before, but sometimes you can request to speak with the interviewer afterwards to ask for more specific feedback so you can know where you might be able to strengthen future applications too.

I'd also say not to be afraid of asking for reasonable adjustments for your interview too! They can really help applicants feel more confident which can change a good interview into a great one.

What kind of jobs are you interested in?