Support for Students and Graduates with a Disability
Job Seeking Starategies
How to get yourself started
- Voluntary work can provide excellent experience and may lead to permanent employment. Even if a permaanent position does not result, the work experience and references from an employer are valuable in applying for other positions. Consider doing some volunary work to gain experience.
- Gathering information about the career environment they are heading towards
- Refining your interview skills
- Experiencing the workplace culture (e.g. staff meetings)
- Developing better skills in presenting a professional profile
- Disclosure and demystifying disability and related workplace issues (e.g. workplace modifications)
- Register with the Disability Officer within your local Centrelink Office
- Seek assistance from Careers and Employment on identifying possible career pthats, resume/cover letter writing assistance and interview practice
- Register details with SwinEmploy
- Contact other people with disabilities who have recently graduated and those who have been employed for some time. Find out about employment opportunities and difficulties they experienced in the application process and adapt this information to your situation
- Participate in the Willing and Able Mentoring Program (WAM) which has been designed to train and match selected studies with mentors in career areas related to each person's aspirations. The program is open to all students, both local and international, who have a disability and who have completed at least one year at tertiary level.
- Send a copy of your resume to potential employers. All resumes should be targeted at particular positions and be specific to the requirements of that position. It is not necessary to wait for a job to be advertised. Many organisations recruit from unsolicited applications. Some organisations may view this initiative as a desirable quality in a prospective employee.
- Visit jobaccess.gov.au for information on employment support services. Go to jobsearch.gov.au to search for a list of Disability Employment Services Providers in your area. More info on Disability Employment Serivces can be found here.
- Visit the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS) website for programs to identify vocational options and work trials scheme
- Access specific recruitment programs in government departments and industry that may be available from time to time.
- Contact Centrelink to explore further options.
