Having a paid job is an important part of most people’s lives and helps to make us who we are. People do all sorts of jobs. They look for jobs they like and they are good at. There are a lot of different jobs that you could learn to do.
Many people do not find their ideal job straight away. However it is important to keep working towards having a job. There are people that can help and support you and there are other things that you can do which may make it easier.
Stay positive and don’t give up!
Top Tips
Have a think about what sort of job you want
what things do you like to do?
what things are you good at?
how many hours a week you want to work?
where do you want to work?
Can you get there easily?
Find out what your family and friends think too, do they have any ideas?
Passport to Success - Developing Skills for Work
The International Youth Foundation has developed a mobile-optimised course to support young people ages 16 to 24 in developing work readiness skills such as time management, problem-solving, and self-confidence. In the development of this course, they worked with young people from around the world to create a learning platform that is fun and engaging. You can register here to access this.
Volunteering is a way to get experience of working without getting paid. It can help you to find a job.
Do some training to help you to decide what sort of a job you might enjoy.
Get help and support. There are many people who could help you to find a job and make sure you have the right support to make it work. This could be your family, your teacher, a Disability Employment Advisor at your local Job Centre, Supported Employment Agencies or a job coach for example.
Think about what other support you might need to get a job, is there anyone else who could help, would a piece of equipment help?, some training?, or some extra funding?
Volunteering is a way to get experience of working without getting paid. It can help you to find a job.
Do some training to help you to decide what sort of a job you might enjoy.
Get help and support. There are many people who could help you to find a job and make sure you have the right support to make it work. This could be your family, your teacher, a Disability Employment Advisor at your local Job Centre, Supported Employment Agencies or a job coach for example.
Think about what other support you might need to get a job, is there anyone else who could help, would a piece of equipment help?, some training?, or some extra funding?
When you’re looking for work, look on adverts and application forms for the ‘disability confident’ symbol.
This symbol means:
the employer is committed to employing disabled people.
you’ll be guaranteed an interview if you meet the basic conditions for the job
Getting a job can mean that you have more money than being on benefits but also better off in lots of other ways too like having more friends and having things to fill your time. If you you receive any benefits now, you may lose these (or some of these) if you earn more than a certain amount but if you receive PIP, this won't change if you work.
full-time work may be difficult for some people if they get tired easily or have a medical condition
for some people a mix of part-time paid work, voluntary work and leisure is a good choice
16 hours is the aim for many but it could start at as little as one hour a week.
Start with whatever you can do and then go from there.
Getting a job can mean that you have more money than being on benefits but also better off in lots of other ways too like having more friends and having things to fill your time. If you you receive any benefits now, you may lose these (or some of these) if you earn more than a certain amount but if you receive PIP, this won't change if you work.
full-time work may be difficult for some people if they get tired easily or have a medical condition
for some people a mix of part-time paid work, voluntary work and leisure is a good choice
16 hours is the aim for many but it could start at as little as one hour a week.
Start with whatever you can do and then go from there.
Applying for a job
You may be able to apply for an Access to Work grant if you need communication support at your job interview (for example, a British Sign Language interpreter or a lipspeaker).
There are some organisations which help with filling in application forms and writing CV's. For example:
You may be able to apply for an Access to Work grant if you need communication support at your job interview (for example, a British Sign Language interpreter or a lipspeaker).
There are some organisations which help with filling in application forms and writing CV's. For example:
