Getting My First Job

[DFedison]

I'm planning ahead about a year to when I get my first job. I'm planning on working at the public library shelving books because I'm there often on my free time; I enjoy the calm atmosphere and I love to read.

Because of my stutter, I've never been great at speaking to others, and I often substitute words as they come to me. I have the most difficult time saying my name, and I hope that when I die, I'll be able to say my name and everything else fluently. (Well, isn't that what we all hope?)

Back to the point--I'm planning on getting this job, and even though it's quite a ways away, I'm incredibly nervous about being interviewed. I believe, however, with courage and with God on my side, I'll be able to get this job, and get through high school and collage--stutter or not. Then, I'll be able to live my life quietly and peacefully, just the way I'd like it to be.

Dan

[JDRow]

I have the same concerns. I just started college this year and go part-time, so I have a long while to go before I finish, but it's something I worry about. I stutter very severely and I can't imagine an employer choosing to hire me over somebody else. If you have two people who can both do the job, why would you hire the one who can't talk? I have a job right now, which I was able to get without an interview because my sister knows the manager, but unless I had an "in" like that, I do think that, if my speech is the same as it is now, it would be extremely difficult for me to get a job after I finish school.

It sounds like you have a positive atittude about it, which I'm sure will help. If you can substitute words in an interview, I imagine that would probably help, too. And, it's not a job that would require much speaking, so an interview might not be that important anyway. I do receiving and inventory at a bookstore, which is sort of similar, except that we have alarms that go off if people try to "borrow" the books ;), and I enjoy it for the same reasons. It's generally very quiet and calm, and it's usually pretty slow in the back so I can browse through the books that are coming in.

[3FingerBrown]

Job interviews are very tough on anyone and exponentially so on us PWS.

I went to a very competitive university where companies would come in and interviewed students every half hour on a schedule.
I interviewed very well to get into school but those interviews were longer and less time constrained and I felt I was able to get by the first impression of a stutterer.

Though I had a bunch of the 1/2 job interviews lined up I only went to 1, I was stuttering very severly at the time, I had other health issues which I couldn't hide and I couldn't speak.
After that I was a no-show for my job interviews and was too embarrassed to even answer the career services phone calls asking where I was and why I wasn't showing up.

I kept thinking why would they want me when they are interviewing 20 other students who don't stutter.

I have no answers for you, only support.
I too have now been planning on getting a new job myself and have set that as a goal for this year.

I have a great resume and an impressive skill set, I just lack confidence and the ability to forget what happened over a decade ago.

We often engage in all or nothing thinking and see ourselves as stutterers and nothing more.
Well I am more and I bet you are too.
Ari

[bignick]

I used to have the same nervous feeling when going for job interviews especially my first one after leaving school. I have stuttered on every job interview I have been on with varying degrees but I feel that every one I have been in, the people have seen beyond my stutter and were looking at my skills as a person.
Worrying about it is not going to help your cause, I know its easy to say, but if you dont get the job, treat it as a learning curve and try to find something to improve on in the next one.
finally, Would you say when you went for the interview that you were very nervous and that your speech worsened or ask them if having a stutter would cause a problem. These are things I have done when I have been for interviews.

Nick

[DFedison]

You seem like very nice people, and I thank you all for responding. It's nice to discuss my personal problems with people who have dealt with or will probably deal with similar instances later in life. This is certainly a miracle of a website for me.

Dan

[3FingerBrown]

AGOFCR makes a great point!!! Its really pointless and actually destructive to start worrying about this now.
Tough to do but try to enjoy what you have now and don't work yourself up regarding the future.
Its undeniable that at some point the prospect of finding a job will stress you but perhaps youd could set a date to start planning and worrying and taking action.

[happy7117]

In other words, live in the now. Making one-self nervous and edgy over something that is still a year away is definately not good, and realy is not neccesary.

When the date for that next presentation gets closer, and I mean ALOT closer, start planning on how you will want to get ready for it, how you want to go through with it, rehe in front of a small audience of friends perhaps.

Write bits of your speech on index cards!! If you are allowed to, refer to your index cards during a presentation. Still memorize the speech, but have the index cards on hand in case you forget a line!!

Show eye contact to let the audience know you are talking to them.

Do not be giving a speech to the presentation you have written down in front of you on index cards if you choose to use them...

Hope for the best...

[Marrow]

Hey Dan

I preatty much agree with whats been said here already. A lot can change in a year, so i dont see theres any point in worrying about the future too much. You might not even want that job in the library anymore. You MIGHT even win the lottery :rolleyes:.

I've got to get a job in 3-4 months after uni, and sure im nervous about it but i dont really think about it as thats gets me nowhere. All i can say is enjoy the present, and put worrying off for as long as possible.

Laters

Nick.