Image description: The words “The second time podcast” in black text on a purple background. There is also a sketch of a computer and mouse.
You can listen to this podcast in a number of places:
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
- RSS feed (to open in your preferred listening app)
- YouTube
This website is the only place which has the script for the episode.
I know some platforms and apps have automatic transcriptions but I cannot endorse AI and will not take responsibility for their accuracy.
Episode Script:
Welcome to The Second Time. First up today I want to share with you WHY I am open to talking about things like job hunting as a disabled person.
It’s quite simple.
It’s because the fault does not sit with me, the fault sits with inaccessible employment and lack of appropriate disability supports. I am not ashamed to be unemployed, disabled, and looking for work. This situation is merely facts to me. Exhausting facts, most certainly, but merely facts. I know many people do not feel safe to speak up on these topics and that’s why I think it’s even more important that I do speak up.
On that note, while I am a member of the disability community, disability is not a monolith. I am only speaking for myself and what suits me.
On terminology – I use people with a disability and disabled person fairly interchangeably when referring to myself. I don’t have a strong preference, but I know others do. Again, disability is not a monolith.
I divide up my job hunting in a fairly boring and rigid way. I have a small weekly whiteboard off to the side of my desk at home, and it has the day on the left. One the right, I’ve written my tasks for each day. Monday is Queensland government jobs, the Smart Jobs board. Tuesday is APS jobs (federal jobs) and looking at agency websites for new jobs. Wednesday is for jobs on Seek.com.au. Thursday is Ethical Jobs, and some more QLD Smart jobs if there are new ones or ones I didn’t get to on Monday. Friday are university jobs and LinkedIn jobs. These boards cover the large majority of places who will be have jobs available for my skillset.
Three years ago, I wrote the following:
There are tons of jobs I’d be a competitive candidate for. I can’t write applications for all of them. I need to write applications for the ones that appear flexible and inclusive. The problem is, everyone has anti discrimination policies, but they don’t apply them in reality. As a disabled job seeker, this makes it practically impossible to identify which jobs to apply for/where to spend my energy.
In the past, I’ve applied for jobs, not gotten anywhere in the recruitment process, but they’ve liked me, kept my resume on file, and hired me later. All of these things make it impossible to choose what to apply for. There is no correct approach. The information to make a correct choice does not exist.
I can’t tell if my application will get through to someone who is reasonable or unreasonable about letting me do my desk job work from my own desk – so I don’t stick to applying for only remote jobs. Most jobs I do, can be done from home, yet are “offered” hybrid.
All of this means that these days I take a volume-based, generic application approach. I get my resume out there and see what comes of it. I apply for whatever I can, as much as I can, whatever my capacity is that day.
I don’t ask about accomodations, they are listed as a requirement on my resume. My needs are not a negotiation. They are clear and straightforward needs.
It’s not the “correct” way of doing things, but so far, with my set of variables, people have been unable to tell me what “correct” way of doing things is.
So, I do it the way I want to. The way that’s easiest for me. I don’t spend a whole lot of time on applications, because people don’t read them, especially with the use of AI in recruitment. My generic application is very good, and it only needs about thirty seconds of customisation for each job.
I was talking to a friend recently, and they shared that they had spent an hour on an application, only to get a clearly automated rejection with ten minutes of applying. That’s exactly why I don’t put much effort in, and I use my quick system. Employers are proving they are not worth the effort they expect of prospective employees.
This is the basic outline of HOW I job hunt. Next episode I’ll cover some of my philosophies about job hunting and being employed as a disabled person.
Links referenced in the episode:
Recorded and edited by myself, Vanessa Smith.
Intro and outro music by Ben Dawson.
