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Dyslexic and Unemployed - what's the next step?

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  • 19-10-2012 10:18am
    #1
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭


    I'm in my thirties and job-hunting at the moment, but currently receiving a small amount of welfare. I've just found out I'm dyslexic - which explains some difficulties I had in school / college & work.

    My qualification (degree) is a technically specliaist one - but I'm not confident I can do that job exept at the entry level and with some mentoring. Also, I can't afford the "official" test (starts at €450) to "prove" my dyslexia to welfare or my employer. I also think I need time to figure myself out in that regard in terms of strengths and weaknesses. I'm a very mixed bag: very creative and observant, but poor short-term memory and difficulty reading long passages of text.

    Does anyone see a path from here? I'm a bit blind to the situation and don't know what to do. I do need to mention it at an interview because it *will* become an issue when I start working, but I'm afraid I'll get turned away everywhere prematuerly before I've figure myself out.

    Any guidance appreciated. I've been on the dyslexia website and to join the Irish Association you must do the test first...
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    #2
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    Do they not offer special rates for the unemployed? I would call/mail them back and check.

    Have you spoken to the CWO as well? They might be able to help.


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    #3
    micosoft
    Registered Users Posts: 2,359 ✭✭✭micosoft


    As a dyslexic who has a fairly senior technical role my first advice to you is to not use Dyslexia as an excuse. I know it's hard, but I've worked around it and I'm certain you can too. You've already spoken about your working out your strengths and weaknesses - that's a great start. Work on your strengths because while you can make a minor improvement on your weaknesses, you can easily make your strengths stronger. Then think about where you can leverage your talent - some niche in your technical area. For example I quickly discovered that although I was in a technical sphere I was going to get nowhere as a technical specialist. On the other hand I discovered I had a talent for communicating very technical concepts to very un-technical audiences. That became my niche and I've done very well from it.

    Don't expect having a certificate will make any difference to employers (in most cases they will view it negatively).

    p.s. - found this font yesterday! http://dyslexicfonts.com/


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    #4
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    ABajaninCork: Thank you. They do say; "In very exceptional circumstances, a reduced rate may be available for people on social welfare or very low income". Their waiting list is 6 - 12 months though so I'll probably just borrow money and get it done privately. I need the info before I can get an appropriate job.

    Who / what is the CWO by the way? I googled but got american stuff :)

    micosoft: Thanks. I have no intention of using it as an excuse and I won't even mention it without specifics bullet points for them - but I do need to tell them something because I am very different to most people and employers and colleagues usually can't figure me out. The few that do ... we do great work together. I don't have as much of an issue on the reading end (although it is that too) - it's the auditory memory and short term memory. Like yourself, I am a good teacher because I have had to work so much to internalise concepts that were either written or spoken (demonstration is the main way I learn).

    I can also get lost around large filesystems and switching between tasks confuses me. However, if I'm working for someone who is a good communicator and I understand what they're asking me - I usually deliver exceptionally good results. This is hard to communicate to an employer and I don't really understand myself either yet (despite being in my thirties). Being self-employed for the last ten years has meant I could delegate my difficulties without realising I had such real issues.

    micosoft - how did you identify your stringths and weaknesses? Did you get tested? I suspect I also fall into the ADD / Aspergers spectrum somewhat as well.


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    #5
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    dyslexicJobSeeker wrote: »
    ABajaninCork: Thank you. They do say; "In very exceptional circumstances, a reduced rate may be available for people on social welfare or very low income". Their waiting list is 6 - 12 months though so I'll probably just borrow money and get it done privately. I need the info before I can get an appropriate job.

    Who / what is the CWO by the way? I googled but got american stuff :)

    CWO - Community Welfare Officer. List of Office and contact numbers here


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    #6
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Thank you ABajaninCork, I'll get on to them first thing on Monday.

    micosoft, thanks for the font link by the way. I downloaded an open source one before and it was cool - I don't have difficulty with individual words, it's more large bodies of text that I get lost in because I pull in peripheral text that doesn't actually belong on the line I'm reading.

    I will give it another go though, it might increase my speed.


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