Graduating from university and taking your first steps into the world of work can feel daunting, particularly if you are navigating a disability or long-term health condition alongside your job search. Remi Jennings, a Graduate Employability Advisor in BCU’s Careers and Student Opportunities team, explores a number of practical ways to approach looking for employment.
Searching for jobs when you have a disability
Rather than applying for every opportunity, it is important to search strategically. For example, various employers now offer remote or hybrid opportunities which could also be requested as a reasonable adjustment.
Prioritise researching workplace culture and accessibility, to ensure the organisation you are applying for aligns with your personal values.
Disability confident employers often guarantee interviews to disabled applicants with applications that meet the essential skills criteria of the job description.
From my own experience, when interviewing for roles within disability confident organisations, I have found the recruitment processes to be welcoming, supportive and flexible in terms of my disability
Understanding Access to Work
Furthermore, there are so many specialist disability employment schemes designed to support disabled applicants into the workplace.
Access to Work is a government scheme designed to support those with a disability in gaining, and remaining in, employment. They can provide a number of services, including:
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Specialist equipment and assertive technology
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Mental health support workers
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Communication support
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Travel support, such as funding for taxis to and from the workplace
You can apply for Access to Work regardless of your current employability status. However, the support awarded is dependent on your individual circumstances.
Disclosing your disability to prospective employers
A common question I face when working with disabled students and graduates is whether they should disclose that they have a disability, or when they should reveal that information. It’s a concern shared by many, with 48 percent of disabled jobseekers worrying about disclosing their condition to a prospective employer.
Disclosure is a personal decision and there is no right or wrong answer. Graduates generally do not have to disclose it in order to apply for the job, but may choose to when requesting reasonable adjustments. These are things you can share that aren’t necessarily super personal, but can make the recruitment process easier.
For example, you might need interview questions in advance, more time to answer or an accessible interview location. You might need certain adjustments if you are struggling with sight loss or blindness. You do not need to apologise or feel reluctant to reveal these adjustments – after all, they have been put in place to remove barriers rather than to give you an unfair advantage.
Further support in your job search
Remember, you can still access careers support from BCU for three years after you graduate. We can offer advice on interview tips, self-employment, your CV, searching for jobs and everything in between.
There are also internship opportunities available, such as Change 100, which can connect you with inclusive employers.
Most importantly, though, don’t try to do everything at once. It’s essential that you break the job search down into actionable, realistic steps.
