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Share Your Employment History
Every now and then I see posts in SMA Facebook groups from parents who are either concerned about their kids with SMA being able to work, or from people with SMA who think that they’ll never find employment. I’d like to dedicate this post to debunking that myth. If everyone here could post their work experiences that’d be great.
Here are mine:
-Teacher assistant at a theatre company in 2012
-Staff Writer/Assistant Editor/Associate Features Editor at my college’s student newspaper (2013-2016)
-Freelance Writer for a small nonprofit (2017)
-Columnist at SMA News Today (2017-present)
-Outreach Director/Patient Specialist at BioNews Services (2017-present)
I’ve also written for other websites and blogs. They were unpaid, but I was still in college at the time and just looking to build my resume. Plus I was always involved in student organizations, and I do my comics writing and podcasting.
Suffice it to say, those of us with disabilities are ready and qualified to work, and often we work harder than most people.
What about you all? What are some of your work experiences?
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2 Replies
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Although I didn’t have a job during the school year, in high school I was able to have summer jobs. Through a program called CEP (I think) I worked a couple different office jobs. One was at a nursing home and the other at a small business. In college I focused on classes and just managing my time. After college I landed a job that I could do 90% from home doing accounts payable and payroll for a small local business. A few years ago I gave up the accounts payable portion so I can do everything 100% from home.
Like you I also have other projects that fill my day. I compile the newsletter for my church and also have my personal vlog DeAnn’s Daily Adventures. You never know when a hobby can turn into a job. Doing my vlog and being active with the SMA community led me to working with SMA News Today.
If you focus on what you can do, and what you like to do, you never know what opportunities could arise.
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Yeah I agree that it’s good to find side projects and creative outlets as well, especially if you prefer working from home. Similar to how your personal vlog got you the job here, my personal blogging helped get me other writing jobs. Thanks for sharing!
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