Thursday, 20 December 2012
Monday, 10 December 2012
More stories from the Blind in Business candidates.
CHRIS WALLER
I first came into contact with Blind in Business in July
2012. I had just graduated from university but despite studying for four years,
I still had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I received an e-mail from
my university telling me about the annual Education to Employment event BIB
were hosting in Surrey and this seemed like a good opportunity to gain some
idea of the options available to me. I didn’t have very high expectations of the event. I assumed it would all be very patronising – a weekend full of people telling me how I could be an astronaut or an airline pilot if I really wanted, all I had to do was be positive. As such, it was a very pleasant surprise when I arrived and I found that the event was being run by very driven and knowledgeable people who had a lot of time for those who were focused and dedicated, but absolutely no time for those who blamed all their failures and problems on their disability. So it was with that, my experience with BIB begun.
After the incredibly insightful and enjoyable event in Surrey had ended ,I quickly learnt that the help and advice they were willing to offer had barely been realised. There were months and months of regular trips to their office in London in which they would dedicate hours to finding me suitable jobs. They arranged interviews and meetings with people who I would never have been able to speak to otherwise. I had a tour of the PwC London office and a mock interview with someone who had experience interviewing at Ernst and Young, and this was all completely free. I haven’t been in contact with BIB for very long, but in such a short time they have not only shown me the wealth of opportunities that are available to me, but also made it crystal clear that whatever problems I have with my sight, it would not prevent me finding the career I really want.
GHAZI ABUYOUNIS
I am currently in my last year
completing my undergraduate Law LLB degree at City University London. I have white hair, a very fair complexion, colourless grey eyes, and a dependency on reading aids by the age of ten.
Coming from a different region of the world to study in the UK was a
major step my parents and I decided to take. At first, I had mixed feelings as
to whether I’ll cope with living on my own for the first time, in a country which
I had previously visited during the summer holidays but never resided in.
I consider myself lucky to be visually impaired in a time-period where
technological innovations are on the rise, making our lives easier. I can’t
illustrate how dependant I am on technology to fulfil varying aspects of life
such as travelling throughout London, reading course material, or to flip
through the pages of City A.M. every morning on the train. Life just keeps
getting better.
I knew about Blind in Business’s services through my University Student
Support Centre. I attended a law event in May 2011, and in February of this
year, I got back in contact. I spent 6 weeks during the summer at their offices, to submit
Training Contract applications, and just can’t describe the impact the charity
had on my life. I no longer think of my disability as an obstacle, but see it
as an opportunity to inspire others who may or may not have a similar condition
to mine. Their welcoming community allowed me to know other candidates on a
personal level. There is nothing better than sharing your experiences with others
who know exactly what you go through, because they too go through it, but in a
different way. It was remarkable to realise that as BIB candidates, we share
one thing in common, but yet we are so different from one another. The charity
does an excellent job in making us competitive: shaping-up our CVs and job applications
to make them as good, if not better, than other applicants. Today, competition
for jobs is at its toughest levels, and the charity ensures we don’t get caught
out in the process.
Blind in Business boosted my confidence by showing me what other
visually impaired persons have done; thus proving to me that having low vision
does not stop one from achieving. One of my own achievements this year was
receiving the Recorder of London Award for the Best Law Student. Thus aside
being told of the achievements of others, Blind in Business now use my
achievement as a mean to inspire candidates. Operating within this two-way
process encourages us to work harder to further carve our recognition within
society.
Thursday, 6 December 2012
SPEED RECRUITMENT SCOTLAND
On Wednesday 28th November, was the first Speed Recruitment Event in Scotland.
Ernst and Young in Glasgow, whose Graduate Recruitment Team were kind enough to host the event.
E&Y, PWC and Acumen Solutions spent the afternoon interviewing the candidates, giving feedback and passing on their knowledge of applications and their industries.
Adeela Akram – BSc Accounting and Finance Graduate, University of Bradford
The Ernst and Young
speed recruitment in Glasgow was the first Blind in Business event I have
attended. Therefore I was unsure on what to expect. However I found it to be
extremely useful. I had the opportunity to meet employers from a range of
organisations such as Acumen Solutions and Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Each
recruiter offered a short interview and valuable feedback was provided based on
my strengths and weaknesses during the interview. This was an excellent learning
experience as I realised what I must do to improve my interviewing skills, it
was also a very good social experience as I had the chance to meet new
people.
John James Laidlaw – Masters, Dundee University
I was invited along
to the speed recruitment event at Ernest & Young in their George Square
office in Glasgow. The event gave a number of blind and visually impaired
graduates and undergraduates the opportunity to be interviewed by different
organisations from the business world and gain invaluable feedback on their
technique. An insight into what they look for in potential candidates for some
of their grad schemes was also given. I personally felt prior to the event that
this would be a valuable networking event from which I could learn a lot. This
proved to be the case as everyone involved was keen to give constructive advice,
share their personal experiences, as well as delivering a realistic interview
scenario. I personally was totally new to these types of scenarios, but felt as
though as the event progressed I grew more comfortable with these. The event was
in my eyes a complete success and these types of events have the potential to
help give many blind and visually impaired people the confidence to embark upon
a long and fulfilling career.
Paul Murray – MMusic, University of Aberdeen
The Speed Recruitment was a new depth for me. As a student, I haven't explored employment options or opportunities and with coinciding issues I was dealing with, I was more than nervous. The actual event was by far the most informative and interesting day I could have experienced. I managed to up my confidence in an employment environment and also got to give my newly acquired skills a try out. From this event I have made ties with some employers and gotten some valuable knowledge in the process.
If you would like to get involved in our next Speed Recruitment in London on March 26th in 2013, then please email justin@blindinbusiness.co.uk for more information.
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Meet the Blind in Business Candidates
At Blind in Business, we work with a wide range of people struggling to find employment, help them to use assistive technology in the workplace and education, and make the step between education and employment.
'My name is Daisy Robson-Odugbemi, a law graduate and I am originally from Nigeria. I have oculocutaneous albinism which is a lack of pigment in my eyes, skin and hair; a ‘black girl trapped in a white girl’s body’ as my family like to say. I am registered blind as my eyesight is really poor. Even though I have been lucky enough to have a good family and supportive network of friends, my scholastic life has been difficult. University was an exceptionally trying time and I began to have doubts about whether it was even possible for me to achieve my goals and ambitions. I heard about Blind in Business through my University Disability Centre and being involved with them has been wonderful. They have offered practical guidance, are friendly, always available to help and provide a listening ear. I have also gained a lot by attending their networking events and ‘Speed Recruitment’ sessions, where I met employers and other young people with visual impairments.
For the first time, I gained friends who know exactly what I am going through. I feel happier and more confident about my future prospects for the first time in a long time knowing that Blind In Business are there for me through this journey from education into a career'.
My name is Maya Haynes and I am a 2nd Year undergrad at Keele University. I first got involved with Blind in
Business when I was home from my first year of University for the summer, and
wondering what to do with it.
'My name is Daisy Robson-Odugbemi, a law graduate and I am originally from Nigeria. I have oculocutaneous albinism which is a lack of pigment in my eyes, skin and hair; a ‘black girl trapped in a white girl’s body’ as my family like to say. I am registered blind as my eyesight is really poor. Even though I have been lucky enough to have a good family and supportive network of friends, my scholastic life has been difficult. University was an exceptionally trying time and I began to have doubts about whether it was even possible for me to achieve my goals and ambitions. I heard about Blind in Business through my University Disability Centre and being involved with them has been wonderful. They have offered practical guidance, are friendly, always available to help and provide a listening ear. I have also gained a lot by attending their networking events and ‘Speed Recruitment’ sessions, where I met employers and other young people with visual impairments. For the first time, I gained friends who know exactly what I am going through. I feel happier and more confident about my future prospects for the first time in a long time knowing that Blind In Business are there for me through this journey from education into a career'.
My name is Maya Haynes and I am a 2nd Year undergrad at Keele University. I first got involved with Blind in
Business when I was home from my first year of University for the summer, and
wondering what to do with it.
I came across Blind In Business through a few web
searches and realised that they could give me work experience whilst helping me
to find summer work at the same time, which was perfect for me. I started by
doing 2 weeks work experience at the London office.
However I really enjoyed it and was offered the opportunitiy to stay on for another week or so. Working at Blind in Business gave me a lot of confidence last summer and made me realised that employers ARE interested in people like me who have very limited vision. Of course there are limitations to very few jobs, but Blind in Business are always honest about these, and they always focus on the positive as opposed to the negative. It was a great experience and I will definitely be approaching Blind in Business next summer, to go into the offices and get help with applying for jobs and doing some work experience on the side.
To hear more stories from candidates, check out our Candidate diaries on Youtube.
However I really enjoyed it and was offered the opportunitiy to stay on for another week or so. Working at Blind in Business gave me a lot of confidence last summer and made me realised that employers ARE interested in people like me who have very limited vision. Of course there are limitations to very few jobs, but Blind in Business are always honest about these, and they always focus on the positive as opposed to the negative. It was a great experience and I will definitely be approaching Blind in Business next summer, to go into the offices and get help with applying for jobs and doing some work experience on the side.
To hear more stories from candidates, check out our Candidate diaries on Youtube.
Friday, 16 November 2012
New job postings
Justin Harrison, one of the Employment Advisors at Blind in Business has put together a list of job openings. Theres a nice variety of positions to choose from.
Good luck with your applications and remember Blind in Business are here to help in any way we can :)
Good luck with your applications and remember Blind in Business are here to help in any way we can :)
Thursday, 8 November 2012
EVENTS AT BLIND IN BUSINESS
Speed Recruitment is a one
day event which allows undergraduate and graduate candidates to partake in a
Speed Dating style set of interviews with various employers. Each candidate
gets 10 minutes to not only be interviewed but to ask the employer questions
themselves. The next Speed Recruitment events are in Glasgow and London (please
see below for details.)
Education 2 Employment is an
annual residential event, where 20 undergraduate and graduate candidates are
selected to attend. The first day consists of workshops and a networking lunch
followed by 2 mock interviews with 20 different employers. The second day, the
candidates are taken water skiing to put them out of their comfort zone and
ultimately boost their confidence.
Places are now open for E2E 2013 for the 24th -26th July so if you are
interested in coming along or you want to find out more than email Justin@blindinbusiness.org.uk
The Parent’s Workshop is
hosted by Dan Mitchell who invites a variety of different role models to speak
to parents or young people with visual impairments. From lawyers, to graduates,
people who have been travelling and other visually impaired people in
employment, they all share their stories and help reassure parents and young
people that there are still plenty of opportunities and careers for them to fulfil
regardless of their visual impairment.
The next Parents Workshop is on Tuesday
11th December 2012 at the Blind in Business offices in London. It is
free. To register your attendance or for more information please email dan@blindinbusiness.org.uk
Alongside our employment events we are also hosting Technology Clinics with Sight and Sound Technology. These are
tailored towards Parents, those in Education, one for Employers and those who
are in employment. Staff from Sight and Sound Technology will be demonstrating
how accessible technology can be and the difference it will make in the
workplace, school and the home.
If you would like to come along and try out different technology or
more information on the clinics, please email media@blindinbusiness.org.uk
These are just a sample of the various events we hold. You can find out
more information on our website, www.blindinbusiness.org.uk or
you can call 0207 588 1885 and a
member of staff will be happy to tell you about upcoming events.
UPCOMING EVENTS
NETWORKING EVENT FOR YOUNG
VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE
WEDNESDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 2012, 12 – 3PM, BLIND IN BUSINESS OFFICE,
LONDON
SPEED RECRUITMENT SCOTLAND
WEDNESDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 2012, 12 – 3PM, ERNST AND YOUNG, GLASGOW
PARENTS WORKSHOP
TUESDAY 11TH DECEMBER 2012, 5:30 – 7PM, BLIND IN BUSINESS OFFICE,
LONDON
CHRISTMAS SOCIAL
TUESDAY 11TH DECEMBER 2012, 7:30PM – LATE, THE SHOOTING STAR, LONDON
PARENTS TECHNOLOGY CLINIC WITH
SIGHT AND SOUND TECHNOLOGY
TUESDAY 22ND JANUARY 2013, 5:30 – 7PM, BLIND IN BUSINESS OFFICE, LONDON
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CLINIC WITH
SIGHT AND SOUND TECHNOLOGY
FRIDAY 15TH MARCH 2013, 4 – 6PM, BLIND IN BUSINESS OFFICE, LONDON
BLIND IN BUSINESS LAW DAY
FRIDAY 22ND MARCH 2013, 4 – 6PM. BLIND IN BUSINESS OFFICE, LONDON
EMPLOYMENT TECHNOLOGY CLINIC
WITH SIGHT AND SOUND TECHNOLOGY
WEDNESDAY 15TH MAY 2013, 4 - 6PM, BLIND IN BUSINESS OFFICE, LONDON
EDUCATION 2 EMPLOYMENT RESIDENTIAL
24TH - 26TH JULY 2013, ENGLAND, UK
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)