Ace That Interview & Get That Dream Job
How to stand out from the crowd for your skills

by Tara Wood

As far as Mike Neufeldt can tell, it couldn't have been his solid résumé, good college grades and leadership experience, relevant internships, variety of skills, his abilities or his willingness to work exceptionally hard.

But something was keeping him out of the working world and immersed in a job hunt for more than a year, and Neufeldt, who has Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, has his suspicions as to what it was.

Neufeldt, 24, said that, although he informed potential employers before arriving for interviews that he has muscular dystrophy and uses a power wheelchair, some interviewers may not have been able to "get past" his wheelchair.

"It's kind of hard to explain, but it's a feeling that I get when I enter the room," said Neufeldt of New Berlin, Wis., when talking about some of the 15 job interviews he had after graduating from Marquette University in 2000.

"To be honest, I look slightly awkward and I use a ventilator. They just see this person and, in my opinion, think, ‘Oh my goodness, how is this person ever going to handle this job that is in front of them?'" said Neufeldt, a member of MDA's National Task Force on Public Awareness who served as MDA's National Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and 1988.

Finally, though, Neufeldt has found a happy ending to his job search and a new beginning for his career: He was hired late last year by Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Motor Co. for a part-time position in the company's employee communications department.

Neufeldt's job hunt, while perhaps longer in duration than most, is typical of the experience of many job seekers with disabilities. They find that employer attitudes and ignorance can be the biggest barriers to gainful employment.

Employment experts agree that a job interview is the perfect opportunity to communicate vital information that might help dissolve those barriers. But there's a lot more to a successful interview than a confident smile and a nice business suit.

In fact, a job interview can be a lot like a first date: Neither party involved is entirely comfortable, both are looking for information that can make or break the relationship, and certain things are inappropriate — and, in a job interview, illegal — to discuss.

When a job applicant has a disability, an interview can become even more delicate. Not only must applicants prove they're the best person for the job, they must also prove their disability won't interfere with their ability to do the job.

THINK LIKE AN EMPLOYER

Many important steps toward a successful job interview should be taken well before the meeting, in the form of some general research. Besides learning what you can about the company you're interviewing with, it can be helpful to put yourself inside the head of an employer to realize some of the misconceptions and concerns that might arise about hiring a person with a disability.

All employers have fears, and much of your task when interviewing is to put those fears to rest, say Richard Nelson Bolles and Dale Susan Brown, co-authors of Job Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped or People Who Have Disabilities.

The book devotes a chapter to employers' fears and ideas for disarming them. Some fear examples: The cost of accommodations the worker might require; whether the company's insurance costs would go up; fear of lawsuits if the company has to fire an employee with a disability; worry whether the person will be a safety hazard or could be injured on the job.

"The top fear is that the person will not be able to do the job," according to Brown, who is also the founder of the Association of Learning Disabled Adults."You should be ready to explain specifically how you would do each aspect of the job, and have several anecdotes prepared about how you have done these tasks with excellence," Brown said.

The cost of accommodations is another big fear. It's illegal for employers to broach the subject, but the applicant can discuss it, Brown said. Some job seekers served by MDA said they brought up the subject of accommodations in interviews as a way to put the employer at ease.

Maria Ramirez, 25, of Nashville, Tenn., is a recent college graduate and has been looking for her first major job in social work since August. Ramirez, who has spinal muscular atrophy and uses a power wheelchair, advises that job seekers realistically assess the accommodations they might need to perform a job.

"Don't wait until the interview to think about what kind of accommodations you would need," she said. "Just be up-front about it and don't not tell them something just to get the job."

When Neufeldt talked to interviewers about his extensive activities at Marquette and with MDA, he used the topic as an opportunity to talk about his disability and accommodations.

"At that point I say that I really do not need any accommodations. I can work simply at a normal work station like anybody else," Neufeldt said. "The only thing that needs to be made sure is that my work station is at a comfortable height, and I know that most desks are adjustable and can be moved up or down."

THE LAW IS BEHIND YOU, BUT...

Augmenting employers' fears is their skimpy knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While the law is designed to level the playing field for job seekers with disabilities, it can make employers nervous about being sued because it forbids them to ask questions about your disability.

In order to help disarm this fear, Brown and Bolles recommend memorizing the answers to these questions about yourself:

• What is it that I can do and do well?
• What are my limitations? What is it that I can't do or find extremely difficult do to?
• What can I tell them about strategies I have developed for getting around these limitations?
• What is it that I have learned through my disabilities?

  Then work this information into your answers to the interviewer's ques-tions.

  It's also handy to know how the ADA helps job applicants. The law makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against you because you have a disability. It doesn't give job seekers with disabilities any advantages, privileges or guarantees, and it can't completely prevent employers from screening out applicants with disabilities.

  According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Web site, "an employer cannot ask you if you are disabled or ask about the nature or severity of your disability. An employer can ask if you can perform the duties of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. An employer can also ask you to describe or to demonstrate how, with or without reasonable accommodation, you will perform the duties of the job."

  Nancy Sawayda, human resources director for AbilityForum.com, a Web site helping people with disabilities to use technology to overcome barriers, suggests, "One thing for interviewees to remember is that all questions should pertain to the job, and all interviewees should be asked the same questions."

  In other words, questions like "why are you in that wheelchair?" or about your health history are likely not relevant to the job, and need to be politely refused.

  One response Sawayda offers to such questions: "I don't know of anything that would keep me from meeting company goals or the requirements of the position."

  BEFORE THE INTERVIEW: MORE RESEARCH

  For Elio Navarro, a 21-year-old from Tampa, Fla., who develops e-commerce Web sites for Verizon Data Services, there's no such thing as being too well prepared for a job interview.

  Navarro, who has spinal muscular atrophy, suggested that, in addition to research about the company and the position, wheelchair users need to do other homework before an interview.

  "It is critical when you go there that you know almost the entire layout of the place. If you can't get there or there's a huge roadblock, it's going to stand out," he said. "You want it to be so smooth they're not even going to remember you were in a wheelchair."

  Navarro, who began his career at Verizon with an internship, has interviewed several times with the company, first for his initial job and then for moves within the company. Each time, because he had to go to different offices and buildings, he thoroughly investigated the accessibility of his destination.

  "Ahead of time you have to know, Can I even get to the interview room? Can I go up the elevator? Is there a restroom nearby?" Navarro said, adding that, if the person who sets up the interview can't answer such questions, ask to speak to someone who can.

  Beyond accessibility issues, once you've secured a job interview, your research should then be specific to the job you're after, and how you can convince the potential employer that you'll be a great fit for the job.

  DISABILITY: WHEN TO BRING IT UP In the tenuous world of job hunting, some applicants who have visible disabilities struggle with the question of whether to let a prospective employer know about their disabilities before they get to the interview stage. Such disclosure has its pros and cons, but people interviewed for this article generally felt that being upfront was better than a "surprise attack" at an interview. Dale Susan Brown, co-author of Job Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped or People Who Have Disabilities, recommends telling an employer before an interview. "There are several reasons that this is a good idea," Brown said. "One, if they are surprised and have negative feelings, they are less likely to hire you than if they were prepared and had a chance to overcome those feelings. "Two, it gives them the opportunity to tell you about their accessibility. And three, it just plain seems to me to be the considerate thing to do." The job seekers featured in this article made no secret of their disabilities. In fact, each had some reference to disability-related activities or achievements on his or her résumé. Whenever he was contacted about an interview, Mike Neufeldt said, he would state right away that he has muscular dystrophy and uses a power wheelchair, and then ask where the handicapped parking is located. "I think that it is a big enough hurdle, the fact that I am in a wheelchair and use a ventilator. Then if I come and just totally surprise the person, that is another strike against me," Neufeldt said. The disadvantage of being up-front about disability, of course, is that you could be eliminated for consideration for the job. And, if they are "really hard-core discriminators, they might mysteriously close the job and try to get out of interviewing you," Brown said. Some people with disabilities feel they shouldn't have to tell an employer in advance and that employers should take the consequences of their inaccessibility, Brown said. "This, by the way, can be a good way to educate employers, but not a good way to get a job yourself," she said.

  Brown recommends starting a relationship with an interviewer before you meet.

  "They need to know you as a person before they meet you if at all possible," Brown said. Correspond professionally by phone or e-mail, and find people you know in common to put in a good word for you.

  Sawayda recommends doing practice interviews with friends or employment service providers, and anticipating typical interview questions, such as: What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Why did you leave your previous position?

  Know the job requirements, and match your strengths and abilities to them, Sawayda said. She also suggested preparing some questions to ask to further demonstrate your interest in the position.

  Here are some examples of questions you could ask, from Interviewing and Salary Negotiation by Kate Wendleton:

• What skills do you see as most critical for this job?
• What happened to the person who held this job before?
• What kinds of people are mostsuccessful in this area?
• What do you see as the department's strengths and weaknesses?

  Asking questions before or during an interview could also prevent you from taking a job that isn't right for you.

  That concern has become a priority in Ramirez's job search. Although she has transportation to and from work, she's looking for a job that doesn't require her to drive during the workday or make home visits to clients.

  Ramirez had an internship during college in which she missed out on some aspects of the program because she didn't have transportation. "I ended up staying back and doing a lot of office work," she said.

  That experience was a valuable career lesson. She's now focusing her search on an institution-based position, such as being a social worker at a school or hospital.

  DURING THE INTERVIEW:
  CONFIDENCE, CONFIDENCE, CONFIDENCE

  Having confidence is a key component to successful interviewing, according to employment experts.

  "It's very important that people with disabilities have confidence in themselves for any kind of job, whether it is an entry-level job or an executive job," Sawayda said.

  In fact, confidence, or a lack of it, is a common thread in some of the biggest interview mistakes job seekers make. Sawayda's Ability Forum lists these top mistakes:

• Poor appearance
• Lack of eye contact
• Know-it-all attitude
• Poor manners
• Inability to express yourself
• Bad-mouthing former employers
• Too much emphasis on money and benefits

  Navarro said he feels that luck and self-confidence helped him get the first big job he interviewed for after he graduated from college.

  "I gave off very good first impressions. I told them that I learn very quickly and that I'm here to provide as much value as I can — I don't goof around," Navarro said.

  JOB INTERVIEW RESOURCES BOOKS Job Hunting for the So-Called Handicapped or People Who Have Disabilities, by Richard Nelson Bolles and Dale Susan Brown, 2001, Ten Speed Press, http://www.tenspeed.com./ Interviewing and Salary Negotiation, by Kate Wendleton, 1999, Career Press, http://www.careerpress.com/ WEB SITES http://www.abilityforum.com/ A site dedicated to the advancement of people with disabilities through technology, including many job search resources www.dol.gov/dol/odep Site for the U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy http://www.eeoc.gov/ Site for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission http://www.monster.com/ Click on "equal opportunity" under resources for information on job searches, interviewing, resume tips and more. www.ssa.gov/work/workta2.html A guide from the Social Security Administration for people with disabilities seeking employment

  Again, talking about your disability can be a way to show you're confident about who you are. Like Neufeldt, Navarro said that bringing up his disability helped to prove there was much more to him than his résumé and his wheelchair.

  "You want to break the ice a little bit and show them you have the same thoughts like everybody else, you think the same, or even better: You're more articulate, you're more intelligent than the average person," Navarro said.

  Both men also used the topic to segue into the subject of workplace accommodations.

  "You say, ‘I'm qualified for this job, and it's obvious that you could use my services. Now let's talk about, Can you even accommodate me? If you can, are you willing?'

  "If an employer is not even flexible or willing, then that's not the right place to go. That's just a sign of what the corporate culture is like for that company," Navarro said.

  Sawayda advises interviewees to address disability and accommodations directly, but not to dwell on the topic.

  "Then focus immediately on the requirements of the job, how you can meet those," she said.

  Brown's advice is similar.

  "The key point that Richard Bolles and I make over and over is that you must know yourself. You must be armed with detailed information about your strengths and the environments that best bring out these strengths."

  AFTER THE INTERVIEW:
  KEEPING IN TOUCH

  Once you've completed an interview, you can maintain the relationship you've established by staying in touch while you're waiting to hear about an offer or a follow-up interview.

  "You must write a thank-you note that is professional looking and sent by snail [postal] mail," Brown said, adding that you can also send it by e-mail with a note that you also sent a letter. "Generally a kind of low-key follow-up that jogs the employer's mind about you and your name will help your cause."

  But don't stop there, she said.

  Make your follow-up communication show that you listened to the employer's needs and you can meet them. Keeping an eye out for news about your prospective employer (by reading the newspaper or searching the Internet, for instance), and then sending a card to congratulate an employer on any achievements will also help "set you off from the pack," Brown said.

  And what about the waiting game?

  "Ask them when they will make a decision about the next step, and ask if it's OK for you to call. If they say yes, then do it," Brown said. "The key, however, is not to nag them about whether or not you have the job."

  Another bit of encouragement from Brown for job seekers with disabilities, particularly when the economy is in a downturn: Look long term.

  "Make every interview or contact the beginning of a relationship. You might not get hired right away. But follow up and you may be hired when the economy looks up," she said.

  And from those who are in the trenches:

  "You just need to keep a positive outlook. Keep applying for jobs, keep interviewing for jobs. Yes, there is a chance that you might be rejected once, twice, three times, but you just have to keep going and not let anything discourage you," Neufeldt said. "The right opportunity is out there."