The aim of this resource is to offer advice on looking for work experience, how to deal with knockbacks and how to get the most from your appointment with a careers advisor.
For many young people, finding work experience can be difficult and it’s especially true if you have a visual impairment.
Our panel all agree that despite this, there are ways to find meaningful work experience and volunteering roles and even if it doesn’t go to plan, there is much to be learnt from it!
On this page you will find:
- A recorded panel discussion with expert speakers discussing: their work experiences, ideas about how to find work experience and how to prepare for your interview with a careers advisor.
- A link that takes you to a further resource page where you can find external websites that can help with this topic.
- A list of top tips from our speakers on this topic.
To access the panel discussion click on the video below:
The speakers in this video compiled a list of resources for organising work experience/volunteering and careers advice, the guide is available to read here.
Top Tips
- You could take a vocational course to get work experience and better understand what career path you wish to take.
- Something as simple as work shadowing is classed as work experience and you can learn many soft skills from this.
- View your work experience as a dry run for applying for work. What skills do you already have, what access needs might you require, who are your current work contacts, and can you set up a meeting with a potential employer?
- Don’t underestimate the power of networking and asking people you already know if they can help you.
- When thinking about your career and talking to a careers advisor, think about all the things you enjoy doing and don’t close any doors to those ideas. There will be somebody out there who can advise you further even if your careers advisor isn’t able to.
- If you are continuing your studies after school, there is a wide pool of support out there like Disabled Students Allowance and Disability Support Services at University. These services can create greater opportunities for developing your work experience.
- If you are accessing career advice at school, speak to your QTVI or SENCO first. Talk to them about how you can make the most of your career advice session and ask them to look at the Blind in Business website or the employment section of Thomas Pocklington Trust (see our resources link) so they are familiar with the help available to you.
- You can contact the National Careers Service where you will be helped by a trained Careers Advisor by phone.
The aim of our ambitious online conference See My Skills: How to land your dream Job! for 16-24-year-olds was to supply practical solutions to the barriers and challenges that exist for young people seeking employment.
Once you’ve played the recording, please click here to listen to successful blind and visually impaired employees talk about the importance of self-advocacy and how they’ve made employment work for them.
We’d like to thank all of our speakers who gave up their time to share their positive stories.
To access the full library of resources from this event please click HERE
