Retail Ready and Able: How to find employment

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When preparing to find employment there 3 questions: 

• Who can help me find a Job? 
• How do I find and contact them? 
• What sort of job would I like? 

Who can help me find a job and how do I contact them?

• A good place to start with looking at Government websites, as they would normally have the most up-to-date information. 
• On the Department of Social Services website there are lists providing information on a range of Disability Employment Services:
• Or visit Job Access to find an Agency/Provider near you: https://www.jobaccess.gov.au/find-a-provider 
• Or you could Google search Disability Employment Services in your local area, contact them and have a chat to see if they would be suitable for you.
• The Queensland Government Website has some good information on Jobs and Training support programs and Finding a Job:
• Job Access is a Federal Government website and has lots of information
  • You will see a number of different areas: Go to Available Support to find out more about:
    • Financial Support: Learn about workplace modifications and assessments, wage subsidies, productivity payments, running your own business and workplace support.
    • Disability Employment Services: Disability Employment Services is available to help eligible participants find and maintain employment.
    • Finding or Changing a Job: Advice on finding and keeping a job, working with Disability Employment Services (DES) providers, writing resumes and applications, preparing for interviews and more.
    • Current Vacancies: Search for work through employment websites including ‘Workforce Australia’, and learn about vacancies through the National Disability Recruitment Coordinator. 

• Find out about the support you may be able to access through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). 

Your rights and responsibilities

A good place to start to find out about your rights and responsibilities is through Job Access. This website will help you learn: 

• Do you need to report abuse or neglect of people with disability:  Information on how to report to the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline. 
• How your personal information is protected:  Information on your rights when you choose to provide personal information. 
• Making a Complaint:  Information on how to access the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service. 
• Talking to others about your disability:  How to discuss your disability with your employer and co-workers. 
• What to do if you’re discriminated against:  Advice on who to talk to about discrimination, or how to lodge an official complaint.
• Your role in work health and safety:  Safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility. 

Stories about people who have been helped through Job Access

Downloads, click on this link:  https://www.jobaccess.gov.au/downloads there are a lot of information sheets in this section.  Check out these in particular: 

Under the heading of “Information Sheets for people with disability” 

• Are you a young person with disability looking for work?  Services and supports that can help young people looking for work work. 
• Available services and programs for people with disability:  Services and programs to help people with disability find and keep a job. 
• Funding available for people with disability:  How the Employment Assistance Fund can help pay for workplace modifications and equipment. 

What sort of job would I like? 

The following will help you gain a basic idea of what sort of job you might like.  However, there may be jobs available which you have not thought about or thought you were not suitable for and a Disability Employment Agency may help you with this.   To help you prepare tather all your qualifications together, school reports, TAFE, University, College, Trade certificates. If you have worked before and have References gather these too. Have a read of these to refresh your memory. 

To work out what sort of job you might like think about the following:

• Where do you want to work?
  • Do you want to work inside (Hospital, Office, Warehouse, Factory, Shop/Retail, School)
  • Or do you want to work outside (Garden Centre, Landscaping, Road Work, Council Work, School Grounds Person, Farm)
  • Or do you want to work in a specific ares such as with animals (RSPCA, Local Animal Control (Pound), Private Animal Welfare), Pet Shop, Pet Groomers)
• What Days do you want to work? 
  • Monday to Friday or would you consider weekend work Saturday and/or Sunday or Shift Work
• What Times do you want to work? 
  • Office hours – 8.30am to 5pm
  • School hours – 8.30am to 3pm
  • Night Work
  • Shift Work hours
• Are you interested in Job Share positions?  (his is where two people share a full time job).
• How would you get to and from work– your own car, public transport, support person?
• Think about you, what are your attributes? Are you:
  • Responsible
  • Reliable
  • Work well in a team or on your own
  • Work well on your own, don’t enjoy working as part of a team
  • Good time keeping, you will arrive at work on time and return from breaks on time
  • Friendly
  • What else can you think of about you?
• What skills do you have?
  • If you type, what is the speed and accuracy ( 60 words per minute with 90% accuracy)?
  • What computer programs/apps are you familiar/trained with (MS Word, Spreadsheets, social media apps)?
  • Do you have any heavy machinery licences – Fork Lift, Truck, Farm Machinery
  • Do you have a drivers licence – Manual or Auto
  • Do you have retail equipment experience such as EFTPOS machine, Cash Register, Weighing Scales?
  • What other skills do you have?
• What References do you have and what do they say about you?
  • Put them in order from oldest to most recent.  Reading your references can help you see how you have progressed in the type/s of work you have done and what your employers have said about you.
• If you haven’t worked before:
  • Have you volunteered anywhere?  If you have do you have a letter of reference from them, if not ask them if they would give you a letter of support.
  • Do you belong to any clubs or a Church? Would someone there write a letter of support.
  • These letters should state how they know you, what you did, how long have they known you.  They should say what soft of person you are (reliable, responsible, any skills you use brought or have gained).
• What are your interests, hobbies:
  • Hobbies and Interests require skills.  For example:
  • If you enjoy playing computer games that requires good hand/eye coordination and concentration as well as keyboard or joystick use.
  • If you enjoy reading, this shows literacy skills and concentration.
  • If you enjoy playing a particular sport, this shows agility, coordination, working within a team, understanding rules and being reliable.
  • When you think about your hobbies and interests it can help you work out what skills and attributes you have and if you haven’t had a job before, show employers that you have and use these skills.
• Consider your physical and mental health needs and think about the following:
  • Do you need the work place to be wheelchair accessible or have assistance handrails, or close parking suitable for wheelchairs, walkers, mobility scooter?
  • Do you need assistance with alternative computer software such as speech to text or text to speech?
  • Do you need assistance with alternative computer hardware such as a specific type of computer keyboard, desk or chair?
  • Do you have a guide dog or therapy animal which would come to work with you?
  • Do you have any any requirements for alternative lighting or noise control? 

All of the above will help you however you need to be honest with yourself and realistic.  The Disability Employment Agencies/Services are there to help you and are a great resource.