Post by Jonathan R. Beard on May 12, 2020 14:16:21 GMT -8
I didn't get a chance to offer comments on Monday's gathering. Maria offered up a few solid ideas. I wanted to add to these and will do so here.
This is a fine time to have a disclosure conversation with those who have previously declined it or those with whom an Employment Specialist is in the early stages of assessment. There are additional advantages to disclosure during this pandemic. Disclosure permits the Specialist to represent the job seeker in all phases of SE. With job development being mostly distance based, the Specialist can check in with his/her network of employers via telephone, recommend the job seeker, serve as a second party for any/all communications. etc. The few employers that are open to customers may also be targeted for boots on ground job development, ideally with disclosure, as many are hiring right now. While not desperate, employers may be willing to take (more) of a chance on someone, especially with the supports that the Specialist can provide. Some of the best job development can happen in places where the Specialist shops and may be known by management.
Without disclosure, it may be quite sometime before a job seeker gets an interview, much less a job. We know that the job seekers that we represent do not typically present well on paper or online. This is why the Specialist does job development based on the ideal job that was identified in the assessment. That is where the jobs are. So, in today's climate, that network is of particular utility to enrolled consumers. Develop it. Use it.