Introduction 

Have you ever felt loss in your job search or like it wasn’t going how you wanted to? Many people, not only job seekers with disabilities, experience this feeling. Embarking on a job search can be a daunting task and you may benefit from having an Employment Coach to help you reach your employment goal. If you are a job seeker with a disability, an Employment Coach who focuses only on disability inclusive employment may benefit you even more because of their knowledge of disability and the workforce. 

This blog will cover five reasons to use an employment coach that will aid in your job search. 

Reason 1: Following The Standard Plans and Approaches Aren’t Working 

An Employment Coach provides personalized guidance tailored to the individual's abilities and career goals. For job seekers with disabilities, this is especially important because often when navigating a job search, some people may focus on what a person can’t do because of their disability instead of focusing on their abilities. An Employment Coach will identify strengths, areas for growth, and strategize a plan based on the job seeker’s abilities and job goals. A great Employment Coach knows that a cookie cutter approach doesn’t get results and they’ll tailor the plan to your needs and goals. 

Nikita, a job seeker in Ontario, was being supported by CCRW’s Employment Coaches and was happy that they identified early on her apprehension in using online job boards and anxiety around navigating them correctly. Since the Employment Coach was able to see this need early on, they were able to provide Nikita training and guidance on how to use online job boards safely first before sending her job boards to start applying on. 

Reason 2: You Want to Improve Your Skills 

Employment Coaches can assist in developing essential skills needed in the Canadian job market. Often, we are looking for jobs that match our “hard skills”, like if we are good at building computers, we may look for computer repair or installation jobs. If we are looking though for a more advanced role and a less entry-level role, an Employment Coach can help identify training opportunities and potential funding opportunities if finances are a barrier to additional training.  

Many employers now are also focusing on “soft skills” like communication or problem solving. You can develop these skills through opportunities like volunteering or social clubs. An Employment Coach can also direct you to training that will help you grow in these areas and leverage assessments to measure your aptitude in each area. 

At CCRW we see the highest level of skill increase from our eLearning library for job seekers with disabilities in the areas of creativity and innovation (25.6% increase in confidence), writing (20.3% increase in confidence), and digital (17.7% increase in confidence). 

Reason 3: You Aren’t Feeling Confident About Your Job Search 

Working with an Employment Coach can boost confidence. They provide constructive feedback and encouragement, which can be particularly beneficial for job seekers with disabilities who face uncertainty to how their disability will be perceived in the workplace. A lot of times job seekers aren’t feeling confident because they have to navigate so much uncertainty or new situations in their job search. An Employment Coach can help simulate these experiences and provide feedback on how to improve. This will build familiarity with how to navigate these new or anxiety filled situations. At CCRW we do several things to help with this: 

• eLearning library with courses on how to navigate your job search 
• Virtual Reality simulations to immerse yourself in these experiences (i.e. a job interview, spontaneous conversations in the workplace, etc.) 
• Tools to optimize and improve job application assets (resume, cover letter, LinkedIn) 
• Facilitating mock interviews to help you prepare for the real deal 
• Skill assessments to help you identify your strengths so you can present them confidently to employer
  

Reason 4: Networking Opportunities 

Employment coaches often have extensive networks within various industries. They can help job seekers connect with potential employers and navigate the Canadian job market. Employment Coaches keep their fingers on the pulse of hiring events so that they can let their job seekers know of any hiring events like job fairs or drop-in interview days. Not only do Employment Coaches have an extensive network with employers, but they also work with other community organizations and training providers. These connections often will share with Employment Coaches when there are training and upskilling opportunities available for job seekers. This will help you keep your skills sharp and allow you to add recent certifications to your resume. 

Reason 5: Accessibility and Accommodation Knowledge 

Employment Coaches who focus on job seekers with disabilities, like the ones at CCRW, are knowledgeable about workplace accessibility and accommodations in Canada. They can guide job seekers in finding workplaces that meet their specific needs and access resources like funding to supply hard accommodations or wrap around supports. Sometimes when starting a new role, adjusting workplace tasks can be a trial-and-error process. Employment Coaches who focus on job seekers with disabilities can help identify many ways to try doing different tasks or they can source a workplace accommodation assessment through different providers like INNoVA. Employment Coaches often partner with employers or hiring managers as well to make the application process more accessible, which can improve the process to help you better demonstrate your abilities and the skills you have to do the job. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, using an Employment Coach can be a valuable resource for job seekers with disabilities who want to achieve their employment goals. An Employment Coach can provide personalized guidance, skill development, confidence building, networking opportunities, and accessibility and accommodation knowledge. By working with an Employment Coach, job seekers with disabilities can overcome the barriers and challenges they may face in the job market and find meaningful and inclusive employment. If you are interested in working with an Employment Coach, you can contact CCRW here. Thank you for reading this blog post and I hope you found it helpful.