Sharing your disability with anyone is always a very personal decision.

You may already have a Study Support Plan in place, or you may feel that your disability does not impact your studies. When it comes to your career, that still stands- it's always your decision to share.

 You may already feel confident in speaking to employers, but if you don't yet because of any past negative experiences or perhaps because you just feel anxious- there is support.

The good news is also that more and more employers and recruiters are realising the benefits of a diverse and inclusive talent pool with growing numbers of initiatives and programmes specifically targeting talented students with disabilities along with more inclusive recruitment and assessment processes. Plus, there are more targeted career resources available to you.

If you're thinking about boosting your work experience it's so important to feel confident talking about your skills and what you uniquely offer as well as any adjustments you might need for the recruitment process.  It's not special treatment, it's so that you can perform at your best on a level playing field with other candidates.

Do any of the following sound familiar?

• I feel anxious talking to employers.
• I've had really some negative experiences in the past when applying for jobs, how will time this be different?
•  What actually are the benefits of sharing my disability with an employer?
•  I've never done this before- how do I know what adjustments I can ask for re the recruitment process and assessment tests?
• How do I work out what to tell an employer and why?
•  Who is it that I actually need to speak to?
• I'm not sure when I should share my disability with an employer.
• How do I talk about my disability in a positive way on applications?
• My disability has impacted my studies- how do I explain poor grades?
• How do I explain gaps on my CV?
• How do I find disability inclusive employers and graduate schemes?
• What are my rights?
• How do I find a Mentor as a student with a disability?

I will be covering these questions and topics in future content and will also be including resources to support you. So, whether you have a long-term health condition, mental-health condition, are neuro-divergent or have a visible or invisible disability, you can get the support you need to feel empowered and in charge of your own career development!

In the meantime, one final key action is to connect with your Careers Service and your Disability Service asap if you haven't already, and find out what tailored support is available to you now!

Suggested Reading

Online resources: Office for Students-Disabled Students

Online resource Disabled Students UK

Online resources: GOV.UK Disability Rights

By Anna Gordon - Certified Business Coaching Psychologist ABP CBCP