Screening Interviews

[Celticool]

Hello to all those read this thread.
I am deaf and brought up in the hearing all my life and I picked up ASL in recent years. I speak mostly and the reason im posting this to get an insight of how the deaf are able to get jobs in the business field.
I refuse to take up unemployment benefits and I am working part time and temping on/off as I like to be working. Its been over a year I left my last job due to personal reasons. Now am still trying to seek work, attending job fairs which are always a waste of time for me. Employers dont want to hire deaf... its a fact i think they dont want to be sued in the future, but thats not the always the case.
I am very dependent on lipreading, email, Relay phone services and use Videophone. When an employer reviews my resume, i get an email and almost everyone asks me call them... for screening interview. Ive tried countless times using relay service for screening interviews and the result im always screened out which the HR & Recruiters, employers dont know or like that method of communication because it takes too long. Ive been trying to make arrangement to MEET for a face to face interview. They are never having any of that. Its a red flag every time so how do you deaf out there by-pass this situation.
I would like to know if there is a way for me to put my deafness in disguise by using VCO on Videophone, please drop a line on how to do that as i dont know the number for sign interpreter for backup of what the person is saying as i am capable to speaking over the phone but not able to hear whats spoken so with the help of interpreter will do the trick i hope.
To all of you out there please drop a line and tell me your experiences.
Thank you

 

[Malfoyish]

Celtic,

I applaud your determination to find a job for yourself. That's admirable!

It's very very difficult to bypass the common stereotypes that accompany any manager's choice to hire a deaf worker as opposed to a hearing worker. I've had problems in the past finding a job...and I'd been told that I (at 23, 24 years old) was not qualified to do the job that they had high-school kids doing. In that case, I found it to be very discriminative, and I was very offended...but I kept on plugging in applications and finally found work where my hearing loss would not limit me in completing certain tasks.

I made sure that while I submitted my application, I submitted it to the manager him or herself - and I made it very clear that I had a hearing impairment. In a professional manner, I also stated that I would prefer that I was interviewed face-to-face so that I was given a fair chance. I believe that this is assertiveness that they take into consideration when they make their final decision.

I guess it depends on the person doing the hiring. There are plenty of hearing folks that are turned down for various reasons - so...I guess it's always best to put your best foot forward, remain assertive, and take it from there. If you did not get hired, it doesn't hurt to ask why, either.

Good luck, Celtic!

 

[Celticool]

Thanks Malfoyish
I got my first job with no problems, it was first advertised on the paper, then applied for job through e-mail, and there was no screening at the time. It wasnt required back in 1999 and the HR was very good to me when i first got there and very understanding about my deafness which i persuaded them that my deafness is not a disability and can prove i can do my job well as others. So that took off from there and was happy to get a foot in the door. That was the main objective. Years went by ,Bosses came in and go.. things went worse as time went on because my last boss never communicated with me so i focused on working with my supervisors which went well. Supervisors came in and go because responsibilities was too much and underpaid so they moved on to other things. I applied to other areas of positions i had desired to get into, this is where the frustration started and where the hiring managers were ignoring me because i was deaf and say that i dont have experience in it. I pinned at him over time to time , then never heard again from him till he quit the job for some where else.
I was fortunate to move aound in the department i was at which was not in my liking but at least i got out of the position was doing. I got to learn other things so it was limited and the fact my boss thinks im too stupid , judges me like a books cover, never wanted me to take bigger responsibilities i could handle, at least give me a trial which never happened. I had always asked if assistance needed, tried to communicate with him which never took off. Anyway that ass never wanted to try to talk to me so i then became a sitting duck as if i cared about my job -collect my pacheck and hoping he would leave before me which that never happened. Most of my colleagues in my level were nice, some 2 faced and very few friends i kept in touch. The ones who were friendly i kept in touch with left the job, others were following suit and the morale was dead and i got sick of my job. So one of the guys left and emailed me saying get out of this place asap and there no future in it for you anymore, which i already knew there was no opportunity for me to grow.I quit 6 months after he left, needed the $$ to save to prepare for the worst. Something came up and i had issues to deal with was escalating. At the same time i had a job to fill when someone left the job and i never wanted that position. I had to do it and i beleive i was set up for failure as if the boss cared. I waited for the right time so i quit and it was sooner than i had planned, no regrets at all to this day.
After a few months I got back in the job hunting scene, I never realised the whole job hunting climate has changed... screening came in and its a nightmare and very lengthy battle trying to seek work. The only way to get a job for me is networking, thats how im hired by employment agency knowing someone who works at one whereas many agencies lie to me saying theyll get back in touch with me, they wanted to paint a picture of who you are and thats it, waste of time!! The contact i have put me passed 1st base and very understanding i cant do telephone duties but im tired of being a pawn. Lack of benefits and busting me ass in 3 jobs to make ends meet. Im happy to be working and i'd go insane looking for unemployment which is not good i went thru once and dont want to go into it again.
For many deaf i beleive , networking is the only way to get a job, knowing no one is much harder and ive been working with job placement specialists who work with disabilities which they dont help you get a job, just help you HOW to do it and its you have to do it by yourself. It sucks and its a cruel world we live in. I beleive im discriminated big time.... join the club and i gotta get used to it.. I dont beleive in Equal opportunities employer... Its just bull to me.