Even on my resume I list my number as text only due to my hearing impairment and YET I STILL get phone calls and then I get emails saying, "Hey I tried to call you but got no response!" :roll:
It is frustrating indeed that even if you do everything right on your part people will still disappoint you. And side note, good to hear you got out of DoD, if you were still there you'd probably on furlough!
I can't count the times that I've reponded via email to a potential employer and received a message "you need to call." Then I miss them and they return the call when I'm in a meeting and we're doing phone tag. I will say this, it's not going to hurt to say "I'm hearing impaired and I don't have a good connection on my phone, could you please reply via email so I can get this in writing?" Fortunately, I can hear reasonably with my Bluetooth but sometimes I can't get it to go when I need it. I remember with my current job I was given the option of an interview over the phone or in person so I chose to do it in person for the obvious reason.
But with interviews, a second reason to meet with the employer in person is to see what the other employees look like. Are they stressed out, do they seem happy or relaxed? Does the work environment seem unnaturally quiet or crazy?
In federal interviews, the person you'll be working under is often at the interview as well - not always but often. Look for the one that's saying nothing. The highest ranking person will often do all the talking. How does the person that's quiet seem. Does he/she look smug? Like they don't want to be there? Do they seem friendly and interested in you, or like they lack a sense of humor?
Not all agencies are the same. The agency I worked for in Homeland Security was wonderful - I loved them. But another that I applied to, also in Homeland Security, gave me a very bad vibe. In the three years I worked in that building with them, I never saw people from that other agency smile. I got the feeling that the woman, who would have been my boss, didn't seem to want to be there, she seemed unfriendly and acted like the job was already given to someone else. It was literally over in 10 minutes if that and I'm glad I didn't get that job. When you research an employer, make sure that you always agree to an interview in person so you can see if they're lying about the "great place to work." A big tip off is if you can't see the other employees, like they're trying to hide them from you so you won't see what it's
really like to work there.
One of the most frustating things I've found is you kill yourself to give a good interview and the final decision comes from the Office of Personnel Management....and they've never met you. I find it unfair. The people who interviewed should decide that but they can only recommend you for the position.
Keep at it though and don't stop trying. There are good people out there. The key is to heed the signs and avoid the potentially bad employers as much as possible. Having a disablity on the job isn't a deal breaker. If you present yourself well, people respond to that, so hang in...and absolutely check out the work forums. People will often tell you the truth in a forum where they can talk more freely, so learn as much as you can about a job or agency before you apply.
