Gaining experience and making contacts are paramount

by Alicia Contreras, Oakland, California

Naomi Armenta

Naomi Armenta uses a motorized wheelchair. She went to a special preschool, but was integrated into a regular school when she began primary school. She studied at an intermediate high-school, which is an alternative school in which the students are part of small groups and get more personalized attention from teachers than is the case in other public schools. While in high school, Naomi participated in the “Work Hawaii” program, a program for disadvantaged youth, and thanks to this program Naomi got her first job in a computer lab, where she designed worksheets and business cards. This job gave her work experience and the opportunity to develop skills for earning money and feeling more independent.

After graduating, Naomi entered the University of California in Berkeley, where she decided to participate in the work-study program, meaning that she could work several hours each week while she pursued her degree, and thus avoid having an enormous debt upon graduation.  She went to the university’s career services office in search of some sort of internship, but instead of giving her an internship, they immediately offered her a paid job as a peer-advisor for students with and without disabilities. In that job, she reviewed the resumes of students and gave them orientation about what classes they could take and what resources were available, etc. Her favorite cases during that job were of two disabled students who did internships at Intel, and then were hired as permanent employees of the company.

As she neared graduation, Naomi still wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but she had the huge advantage of being very familiar with the resources available in the community. These helped her get interviews for jobs in various federal government agencies and she ended up getting a job in human resources at a store for military service employees, where she worked for 6 years. Naomi thinks she got this job thanks to highlighting both in her resume and during her interview that she had 5 years of experience hiring, firing, and paying her personal assistants. She had solid experience as a supervisor, indeed, the number of years she had spent contracting personal assistants was the same number of years she spent studying at the university. Naomi has found that frequently people don’t realize that people with disabilities have or develop many skills when we hire assistants and these abilities are very important for getting certain jobs.

After that job, Naomi worked for 5 years in the human resources department at City College of San Francisco (CCSF).  Thanks to this job, she expanded her personal network, meeting people who gave her lots of support and orientation when she decided to change her career path after 11 years in human resources. For a time, Naomi was also a volunteer in an accessibility workgroup at BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Some of the contacts she made in the workgroup recommended that she look for work at a consulting agency, and thanks to this suggestion she got a job as the coordinator for transportation for seniors and people with disabilities at the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority (ACTIA), where she has now been working for 3 ½ years.

Naomi has some recommendations for people with disabilities looking for internships or jobs: 

1. “Know your needs before looking.- It took me a while to realize that instead of wasting time trying to use the office printer, I could increase my productivity by using my own printer.

2. Be confident and clear.- I learned that when I have job interviews, I should believe in myself and know that we can find the best way to work. 

3. Write a list of things you need to be able to work.- On my list, I include the following:

1. Speakerphone.

2. TrackBall for moving the cursor on the computer screen.

3. My own printer (optional).

4. Say what you can provide to be able to work.- What I provide is the following:

1. I make my own “mouth-sticks,” which I use to write with the computer.

2. A small platform which I place next to my desk. The only thing I need is enough space to be able to use it.

5. Know what to do in an emergency.- I always ask what the emergency procedures are and the building’s access points, entrances and exits.

6. Get experience.- What have you learned during your internships or jobs? We always learn something new (even when we have bad experiences).

7. Expand your work options.- Look for work in government offices at all levels: federal, state, and local. The majority of them have goals stipulating that they hire a certain number of people with disabilities, and usually they haven’t met their goals.”

It is important to note that Naomi has expanded both her personal and professional experience, as well as her social network, thanks to using diverse strategies and being creative.  Her contacts have served to help her get a good job and live independently. She has proven herself to be a proactive woman in her desire to show her abilities and get a job by administering and managing her own finances; hiring and supervising her personal assistants; participating as a volunteer in a workgroup; and searching for internships.

Without a doubt, Naomi is a leader who has practiced what she preaches, by gaining experience and making contacts that have helped her get a good job and live independently. She adds, “Internships can greatly reduce the fear that both employers and people with disabilities feel as they look for or offer work. And if you can’t find an internship…volunteer work also can be a big help!”

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