A nasty bit of reality in the big, scary world is that sometimes, you will need to go through an in-person job interview to get the position you really want. Job interviews aren’t easy for anyone. They are always a little scary. That often leads to anxiety that is noticed by the interviewer who will, in turn, use that against you. The corporate world seems to treat job interviews as a way of discovering reasons why they shouldn’t hire you. They want you to know that. They want you to be off-balance. It is twice as unnerving when you have a visible disability.
Everyone who goes into an interview does their best to hide their weaknesses. An interview is a little like a court case where neither side is being completely honest. The prosecution is not looking for proof of the defendants innocence and the defense downplays any evidence that the client is guilty. It is necessarily an adversarial relationship, a game of gotcha that no one can really win. Wouldn’t it be nice if things were different? But they aren’t. This is the world we have to navigate. If this is the game, those of us with disabilities need to learn how to win it. Here are a few tips that can help:
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
If you are blind, you already know the challenges of picking out clothes that are fashionable and that work well together. It is not enough just to match colors. A color reader might tell you that the blouse and pants are blue. But what shade of blue? Even if it gives you a precise, numerical value, it still can’t tell you if the blouse and pants are a good match. Different shades of the same color can clash.
That colorimeter is also ill-equipped to tell you if the style is fashionable or out of date. Many blind people learn what works for them, and they continue to buy the same thing forever thinking it is a safe bet. However, what worked for you in the 90’s might not go well with the expectations of the 20’s. A lot changes in 30 years.
None of this will come as a surprise to anyone who has been living with blindness for a while. It is good to have a sighted shopping buddy to help with these types of decisions. There are apps and devices that try to serve this role. Amazon came out with something called the Echo Look which, in part, is designed to take a picture of what you are wearing and use machine learning to determine if your outfit is in-keeping with current fashions and trends. Having never tried it, I cannot say how well it does that job. If you don’t have a shopping buddy with an eye for fashion, it might be worth checking out something like the Look.
The point is that you need to take what you wear to an interview seriously. It can be the difference in whether or not you get the job. Just remember that all applicants will be judged by this same standard. The interviewer might conclude that since you couldn’t find a way to look professional due to your disability, you might not be able to perform other job requirements despite your qualifications on paper. Don’t ruin a good resume with a bad outfit.
BE MINDFUL OF YOUR GAZE AND POSTURE
Eye contact is one of the most important elements of communication. Fusion Career Services offers these insights about eye contact:
EYE CONTACT IS A REALLY EASY WAY TO CONVEY YOUR INTEREST DURING AN INTERVIEW. WHEN YOU ARE EXCITED AND HAPPY, YOUR EYES NATURALLY TEND TO DILATE AND EXHIBIT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPARKLE. WHICH WILL HELP THE INTERVIEWER PICK UP ON HOW EXCITED YOU TRULY ARE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY. AVOIDING EYE CONTACT WILL MAKE THE INTERVIEWER THINK THAT YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE JOB, COMPANY, SALARY OR WORSE–THEM.
They also note that eye contact helps to build trust and show self confidence. A lot is conveyed and assumed based on nothing more than eye contact. Dark glasses can be a barrier for interviewers because they are cut off from an important part of nonverbal communication. That can be overcome by looking confidently in the direction of the speaker. Gazing into space, as it is sometimes called, will send signals that you don’t intend. You might not be able to controld your eye movements. But you can control your head position. That can be a good standin for direct eye contact.
There is also the matter of posture. Don’t sit in an interview the same way you do at home enjoing your favorite TV show. You can make up deficiencies in gaze with good posture. It is all wrapped up in the idea of body language. Nonverbal communication is a real thing. If your disability causes body control issues, you will need to make up for it by honing outstanding verbal communication skills. Many people who are great at nonverbal cues are terrible when they have to rely on words. This can be your great equalizer. So be mindful of all the signals you are sending, intentionally and otherwise.
DON’T RUN FROM YOUR DISABILITY
There is no point in trying to hide or downplay your disability. That won’t work. In most cases your disability is obvious. Instead of running from it, use it as a strength. It is time to become the best maker of lemonaid the interviewer has ever seen. If your weakness is blindness, make it one of the reasons you are able to stay focused on a task. You are not easily distracted by random visual detritis. If you have had to learn to use technology for the use of accessibility devices, that means you are well ahead of the average person who barely knows more than a few basic tasks on a computer. If speach is an issue, use it to show how it has improved your writing skills.
The interviewer is wondering how you would be able to adapt to the job whether or not she says it out loud. She wants to know how much you are going to cost the company in special equipment and liability. If you are a part of a rehab program that will support you with special training and equipment, let that be known up front and don’t just assume they know how any of that works. They probably don’t. But they will be impressed by the fact that you came prepared to address the issues head-on and that speaks to your ability to plan ahead and create solutions rather than problems. Guess what? You’re hired!
At the end of the day, everybody has something that holds them back. They might not have an obvious disability with a name. But they are most certainly dealing with something. Your disability does not create as much of a disadvantage as you think it does. You have a very important advantage: You know what your challenges are and have built your life around making them work for you. Others might not be as adept at identifying and dealing with their issues.
If you remember these few tips, you are going to do well: Dress for success. Mind your nonverbal signals. And don’t run from your disability. Find a way to make it work to your advantage.
David Johnson