Hello AbilityLinks blog readers! I haven’t posted on this blog in quite some time, and I hope this blog post will explain, at least in part, why I’ve been away for so long. As you may remember from my last blog post, I was attending the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education (ICRE) down in the city. This program helped to teach physically disabled young adults independent living skills. ICRE only lasts for two years though, so the question then became, what would I do now?
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ITKAN is a professional organization affiliated with the Illinois Technology Foundation , whose mission is to develop passionate IT professionals with disabilities, is partnering with Microsoft ’s Technology & Civic Engagement team in Chicago, as well as Directions – a nationwide leader in IT, business and enterprise training solutions and one of only 12 Microsoft Gold Managed Learning partners – to train and secure professional positions for a class of (6) ITKAN members.
ITKAN, a professional organization affiliated with the Illinois Technology Foundation, whose mission is to develop passionate IT professionals with disabilities, is partnering withMicrosoft’s Technology & Civic Engagement team in Chicago, as well as Directions – a nationwide leader in IT, business and enterprise training solutions and one of only 12 Microsoft Gold Managed Learning partners – to train and secure professional positions for a class of (6) ITKAN members. The training will be focused on the high-demand
Preparation for a virtual job fair is very similar to how one would prepare to attend a fair in person with one exception, it will be online and your computer connections must be up to speed. The employers will still have "booths" set up with information about their company and jobs. The advantage of attending a virtual job fair is that you can talk to and get your resume in front of many recruiters and hiring managers in the comfort of your own home.
Although most people will attend a job fair with the intentions of finding a job, my suggestion is to attend the virtual job fair with the intention to make as many connections with these recruiter.
Here are some successful tips to ace a virtual job fair:
Learn about the recruitment process at Booz Allen, with an overview of how the firm supports the community of professionals with disabilities in particular. Candidates with a strong background and experience in the field of STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) are strongly advised to attend.
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By Amanda Fowler
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ADA25 Chicago, in collaboration with the Chicago Business Leaders Network (CBLN), launched the first annual Disability Inclusion Opportunity Summit on November 16, 2015.
Once I started losing my vision back in grade school it always took me longer than my classmates to get the work done. Although with the books on tape and advancements in technology, I was able to keep up. Yet, it was still frustrating to see my peers get the work done quicker, especially when it wasn't that I couldn't comprehend the information, my vision requires that I go at a slower pace.
Over the years I was able to master my skills and manage the work load. However, once I got into the work force, the rate of growth, and the advancement of technology, kept pushing me further and further behind. Once I mastered a certain program or piece of technology, there was a new version, with new icons.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Christopher Lu and U.S. Representative Bill Foster held an employer breakfast recently on hiring people with disabilities. More than 60 people attended the event held in Oswego, Illinois on Tuesday, August 26.
In addition to Deputy Secretary Lu and Representative Foster, an expert panel of state and local service providers talked about effective disability hiring strategies and resources.
Register Now! (Registration is required for the Job Fair and Workshops)
The SSA Human Resource team in the Chicago office regularly reviews the Abilitylinks resume database for potential candidates, especially for temp to hire positions. AbilityLinks Counselors alert social security recruiters to qualified AbilityLinks candidates on an ongoing basis.
Recently, three Abilitylinks job seekers have been recruited by the SSA Chicago Regional Office. After being hired as a temp, Ms. Pieniawas was offered a permanent position based on excellent job performance. "I'm pleased that SSA has developed a relationship with AbilityLinks and proud that we're a useful tool for finding candidates with disabilities that can do the job. It's great that Ms. Pieniawas is doing so well," Ms. Duvall said.
By Mark Williams
Know the Impressions You Make. Make the Impressions You Want.
