(Analytics) How to Deal With Handicaps

The Key Employer Prejudices

The word "handicap" is a general and broad term, which could refer to either the job-hunter's disabilities or the employers prejudices. If you are deaf in one ear and you apply for a job that requires you to hear, then that is a disability. This means that there are certain skills that you don't have that are detrimental to the job you are pursuing. Notice the difference: a disability is something within you and a prejudice is something within the employer. Here are some of the Key Employer Prejudices:

1. OUT OF WORK TOO LONG. This is a prejudice that relates simply to how long you've been out of work. This is a situation where either the employer cares about it or he/she doesn't....so don't worry if you've been out of work for a while. You have to be persistent and move on to the next employer and hope that they don't value previous work experience as much.
2. AGE. One of the reasons that this is a huge prejudice is because there are a lot of baby boomers reaching there retirement years. You must realize that this is a "prejudice" not a "handicap". Therefore, if you can show that employer that you still have that fire, then by all means the job can still be yours. 
3. RETURNING VETERANS. Here's a crazy statistic for you, 44% of returning vets do not feel their military skills and training are respected by employers. To be honestly, we can only assume that "some" employers are prejudice towards hiring vets. Some employers rely to much on the assumption that vets come back with PTSD (which is real by the way). However, we can also assume that some employers are prejudice in favor of hiring returning vets as well.
4. FORMER PATIENTS. This prejudice is based on the hiring of ex-mental patients. Not necessarily somebody that was hospitalized, but someone who did have a serious problem and probably overcame it. The main concern that the employer has is, "What skills are needed to do this job, and does this man or woman have them?" and "Does this person get along well with other people?" Once again this is not a handicap, but an employer prejudice that they have.