Like most people seeking employment, Olympia resident Pete Kowalsky takes the job interview process very seriously. He rehearses answers to anticipated questions, carefully prepares his resume, and tries to convey the sense of loyalty and job ownership that he says defines his work ethic.
But unlike most job seekers, Kowalsky has challenges. A learning disability means he must rely heavily on support from his mother and counselors, as well as vocational resources, to find jobs. Still, that hasn’t kept him from pursuing interests in a wide range of fields over the past 10 years: customer service, hotel management, security, and administrative work at a hospital.
His first tip for fellow job seekers?
Ask for help. “I threw together some applications because I was too proud to ask, and that cost me some jobs,” Kowalsky, 29, admitted.
Another tip: practice your interview responses with the help of an egg timer. “If you can’t answer the question by the time it’s done, you’re taking too long,” he said.
And another tip: Complete your application with care. “My handwriting really stinks,” he confessed. “That cost me some jobs.”
Kowalsky offered this advice during an innovative career fair held yesterday at Tacoma Community College. The conference, entitled “Tools 4 Success,” drew hundreds of South Sound people with disabilities interested in workshops that included topics such as employment rights, information on disability disclosure in employment, using technology and the Internet to find work, and self-employment.
During the half-day event, participants were encouraged to move between classrooms to glean knowledge on the varying topics.
In one room, staff from Tacoma Goodwill re-enacted the ‘do’s and ‘dont’s of good and bad job interviews. In another room, a panel of people with disabilities shared their experiences interviewing for jobs, finding work, and pursuing different careers.
“It’s really geared for setting people up to gain the job skills they need so they can approach an employer,” said Betty Schwieterman of Self-Advocates of Washington, one of 20 organizations that sponsored the event. “We also want people to be inspired — to hear success stories from people about the jobs they got and the support they had along the way.”
“This is an important part of getting people with disabilities out into the workforce,” said Kathryn Held, program support supervisor at Tacoma Community College. Held organized the event in 1999 and has seen it grow to as many as 350 attendees (this year, attendance was capped at 250).
One reason for the overwhelming interest is the conference’s unique approach to employment. Whereas most career fairs have a factory-like focus on pairing employees with employers, this career fair is focused on sharpening interview skills and broadening knowledge of finding a job and preparing for an interview.
The highlight of the conference yesterday was a keynote speech by Scott Palm, the founder of Palmtree Enterprises, which assists people who use augmentative communication devices. Palm, who cannot speak, shared his story of starting out working as a data entry clerk for the State of Washington, and using a machine called the Liberator to communicate with co-workers. Later, he was employed by Prentke Romich Company, manufacturer of the Pathfinder communication device, and went on to found his own business.
“This technology allows me to be independent,” said Palm, who added that the device allowed him to do everything from speak on the telephone, make presentations to political leaders, and even win $25 in a karaoke contest.
“I want to pass that onto people who use augmentative alternative communication devices,” Palm added. “This is the most exciting time of my life.”
