Job Hunting and TS

by Anne Marie Hermann and Richard Hermann

Everybody hates job hunting. It is intimidating. stressful, anxiety-ridden, and uncertain of outcome. Moreover, all of these negatives are magnified if you also have to contend with a visible disability.

The fundamental questions for any candidate with Tourette Syndrome are: "What do I say to prospective employers about my disability?" "When do I say it?" And "How do I present it?"

Tilt the Odds in Your Favor
Before addressing these fundamental questions, there is one very important thing you can do to improve your odds: try to identify employers who are more likely to be favorably disposed toward candidates with disabilities. Here are the best ways to target such employers:

• Talk to fellow members of the Tourette Syndrome Association about their job-hunting experiences.

• Pick the brains of career services officials and disability program managers at the schools you attended.

• Identify employers with good track records, vis-a-vis recruiting candidates with disabilities, which you can do by consulting the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (formerly the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities) and other advocacy organizations, and by literature search on the Internet and in publications such as "Careers and the Disabled" (available at www.eop.com).

• Pinpoint government organizations that sponsor disability hiring programs such as the U.S. Government's Selective Placement Program. You can obtain a copy of the "Selective Placement Program Directory" from TSA.

Preliminary research pays big rewards and builds confidence. It will steer you toward potential employers that have experience with, and a positive attitude toward, considering job seekers with disabilities.

What Do You Say to a Prospective Employer ...and When Do You Say It?

As little as possible. Initially, when first communicating with an employer, you will be best served if you say nothing. Let your paper credentials (resume and cover letter) speak for themselves and get you in front of the interviewer. Your resume and cover letter should focus only on your qualifications for the position.

The track record of job candidates who reveal their disabilities early in the job-hunting process is not very promising. Employers are typically flooded with job applications. Rather than look for positive reasons to interview candidates, their initial concern is to pare down the pile of paper applications to a manageable few. The easiest way to do this is to take a "rejectionist" approach: looking for a reason to eliminate candidates. You do not want to present any employer with a convenient reason to reject you.

If you are concerned that your Tourette might emerge during a telephone or personal interview, take the initiative and discuss it frankly with the interviewer up front. In that case, it is better for you to raise it than for the interviewer to bring it up upon observing or listening to you (which, by the way, is prohibited by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Interviewing Guidelines, but does not really affect employer conduct in the real world). If the interviewer comments about it first, you may want to reconsider working for his or her organization.

If you think you can make it through the interview, but that your Tourette might be noticeable during the workday, you have a difficult decision to make. Do you go public now or wait and let the chips fall where they may later? The answer to this question is not easy and is highly individual, depending upon the "rapport" between you and the interviewer, the nature of the job for which you are applying. and many other factors. Employers do not like to be surprised.

How do you present it?

If you have to say something about your Tourette, you should present it accurately as having little or no impact on your performance on the job. Be sure to mention if you are largely able to control it with medication and that the medication does not affect your ability to work.

Beyond that, the most important thing you can do is to rehearse for the moment when you might have to talk about your Tourette. Do this in front of a mirror as well as in front of a spouse, relative, or friend with whom you can "role-play" the interview.

Prepare as you would for any interview.

Learn as much as you can about the employer' s operation, products and services. Plan ahead to make a great first impression. Exude confidence. Look sharp. Be upbeat. Be friendly. Be honest. Be on time. State how you can add value to the employer's business. And... anticipate the unexpected.

Anne Marie Hermann is an attorney who has specialized in disability law and was producer and host of "Law and Disability," a nationally syndicated radio program. Richard Hermann is a principal of Sutherland Hermann Associates, a career counseling firm, and the author of over 25 books on career transition.