Follow Up on Job Offers

It has been an interesting job hunt to say the least. I did finally finish getting all the required documents for my disability accommodations which are basically bringing Duchess to work turned into human resources today which was a relief. I know I won't be able to start my job until all the paper work was submitted in a timely manner. I did have issues getting my old Dr.'s office to sign the paper work though so it has been a great deal of hoops to jump through to get to this point today. I did finally hear back from the other job offer I had accepted on Friday afternoon. They sent me an email saying to start on a set date and time but they had a little note at the bottom. The position was originally for a temporary to permanent position. I would have been temporary for around three months. I know the email stated the clients had decided to hire their own Administrative Assistant internally. The position would now only be a temporary position until they found an acceptable person for the job.

I know I am still really angry that people the minute they hear I have a service dog the run. I know my new position at a state job was very accepting of the law and just had me fill out the proper paper work. They said I would need to meet with them when I start to discuss accommodations but other than that I am all set for the my first day on the job. It is insulting because I have a great deal of success as an administrative assistant or associate positions. I know I even took tests for the temp agency and did really well but funny how when you need accommodations they want nothing to do with you and want to back out of the job offer if they could legally get away with it. I did rather enjoy emailing them temp agency back on Friday saying that I had accepted a full time job offer with another company. I know this temporary agency should have been more careful. They were trying to change the position they offered after the original offer was agreed upon. I am sure they sought legal advice on how to handle this so the client did not have to have me as an employee. I know I was over joyed to turn down the job offer once they started to change the offer around.

I know I have a great deal of service dog teams that do not work and I know why. It is was really a slap in the face how so person can disregard years of experience because you have a disability and treat you like you have no value. I know my job at the University of Texas was never easy but I always got the job done. So I find it very hard to deal with how belittled I felt after this experience. I know I am glad I found a place that is really happy to welcome me to the team with my disability. I am hoping I see more of that in the future but I know after this experience I plan on staying with my new University for many years to come because having a service dog and going through this process again would be incredibly difficult to handle. I know I am extremely happy with my decision to move but I forgot how hard it would be to handle the disability related paper work, forms and questions.

I know I would not have handled all the stress or difficulties I faced this time without John. He really has been a great helping me to watch Duchess while I interviewed and helping me practice for interviews as well. I know I did not always handle my stress as well as I would have liked but thankfully I am done with that part of the process. I know with all the extra steps I have to handle after accepting a job offer it feels like a great deal of work. Normally they want this paper work same day or next day at latest. So it is a great deal of time talking to nurses and scrambling to get things faxed to my new employer. I know why a great deal of service dog teams don't work and most of the reason I am finding is not the disabled person but rather the employers in a great deal of cases. It makes me incredibly sad to be even saying that. I was hopeful that my experience would have been positive instead of such a negative experience. I know we still have a great deal of a ways to go when it comes to dealing with disabilities in the workplace.

Interesting Job Hunt and the Leassons Learned

Things have been such a whirl wind and I have not blogged as I would have liked. I have been so busy working on getting a job it was just too much to keep up with these days. I normally love to blog during November but this year it just didn't happen. I did get a job offer and I was supposed to start the job today but I never heard back from the staffing company after I submitted a Dr.'s note about my need for an accommodation at work so I can bring Duchess with me. I know the federal laws but the request by the company was not very nice. I know our email exchanged she expected me to have a Dr.'s note ready once I told her about my need to have Duchess. I know in Texas my job requested me to release some medical records to the Disability department. I signed the paper work so the school could get the records I stared a day later. I know the process was easy. Sadly since I had never been asked for a Dr.'s note I was not prepared but thankfully my Dr.'s office was able to get one written the day I called then I had them fax it to the company. I heard back from the staffing agency for the temporary to permanent position I was hired for that they were waiting to hear back from the company.  I heard nothing from them today so I assume they are trying to get out of trying to hire me at this point is my assumption.

I know during all of this time I was called back for a second interview at a job I really wanted. I found out today and accepted the position at a local University in the area. I know because the position is a state job I won't really have any issues being able to take Duchess with me to work. So I am relieved that I don't have to go through the situation I was with the other job I accepted a position with. I am waiting to see if I ever hear back from them or what their response will be. I am curious to find out what they will say next. I know after my current job hunting experience I am thinking the disability laws leave a great deal to be desired. I know the only way I can compete is to not disclose my disability because of the assumptions people make. It is sad reality in this country how bad they treat the disable who are trying to be productive citizens who just want to work.

I know once I tell someone about my disability they have complete meltdowns most of the time and then they get angry if you don't know in advance what documentation they will want. I can see why a great deal of people in this country with disabilities don't work because they make you jump through so many hoops to just be able to start a job. I am glad they improved the disability laws several years back but there is so many loop holes that make it easy to discriminate against a disable individual. I know I have just as much to offer as any healthy person. I just wish they would not make such harsh judgements about me before they even see my work. I know I do tend to stay in jobs longer now because of the difficulty with getting new jobs. I am really hoping that my new department will still welcome me with the same enthusiasm as any other employee after all I am still human. I know my disability does not deter my abilities just wish more people understood that.