To Be Open is Best Approach When Looking for a Job
By: John Good
Submitted: 2010-08-26 11:35:39 | Word Count: 556
More and more working Americans are losing their hearing because of exposure to noise. Hearing loss is a common problem for millions of Americans. There is a prediction made by the National Institute on Aging that 28% of Americans in the country who work are bound to lose a part of their hearing in the next 25 years.
Hearing loss continues to increase, and different reasons can explain why. Noise pervades our present environment, says the The director of career counseling and job placement services at the New York League for the hard of hearing. People are living longer, and they're retiring later. Noise is common in any workplace.
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There are air conditioners, telephones ringing, people talking, typewriters and photocopying machines. The noise limit is not in any way violated, but these do go past communication level. 85 decibels is the loudest of any noise allowed within a workplace. Those in the workforce inflicted with hearing loss and their employers receive help from the organizations just like the League.
There are, she says, few things that hard of hearing people can't do in the workplace, and employers in most cases can easily accommodate them. Providing amplified phones and relocating desks to noise free areas are among the different examples. Letting someone else answer the phone is also an idea. These things must be explained to the employer though. Don't assume that your supervisors are not providing support for you because they don't want to.
She wants the employee to explain what kind of changes must be made in office arrangements. An employee can find out the models and prices of a piece of equipment he would need and present it to the employer for approval. A request by an employee to move away from a noisy work area can be done.
The job search for the hearing impaired person is much the same as for others, except that every step of the way may be affected by the impairment. The person may doubt himself or herself. The beginner would be worried that he would face rejection because of his impairment. Another difficulty for the applicant to overcome is to use the phone to schedule an interview. When to admit that he has an impairment must also be timed well.
The established employee is worried about demotion or losing his job. Choosing to hide the impairment may prevent him from joining employees in contributing to meetings. He might be misunderstood as lacking motivation.
Being open while on the job and while applying is most advisable. She advises against mentioning the impairment on the resume, but recommends that it be told during the interview.
The applicant can talk about it and make things clearer for the employer who is bound by law not to ask anything about it. The League of self help for the hard of hearing can provide education for managers regarding the impairment. The League not only counsels the employers, but it also gives workshops to hearing impaired employees.
Author Resource:-
Read this site if you want hearing loss information.Expert resources on hearing solutions are located on that site.