college help: Is it a bad idea to tell employees about my learning disability?

This post left anonymously

Is it a bad idea to tell employees about my learning disability?

IN the past, I have shown a recommendation letter that my hs teacher had wrote for me and in that letter it talks about my abilities and about my learniing disability and how I strive for the best. When I used this letter, I was able to find jobs. Even though I messed up in one of my interview for a afterschool teacher position and didn’t have enough experience when she asked me question on how I would deal with this situation, she read it the letter and said even though you don’t have much experience, she hired me. This letter was in 2005.Now that, its 2012 which is 7 years later, I don’t know if this is even effective. Can I still use it since it still the letter still describes who I am today.

Secondly, would it be ok to tell employers about my learning disability and because of this, I strive for the best to prove to people that I am just as capable as they are? I feel that my learning disability is what keeps me going and working hard to strive for the best for me. But my friends thinks I should not mention it in case the interviewer looks down on you and doesn’t hire you because of my LD which you will never know.

My college professor said she will write me a letter of recommendation and she also knows that I have learning disability and I was wondering if I can combine both letter of recommendation to make it more effective since one is from hs and this one is from college. Both teachers, have seen my true abilities and my determination. Because of this, I have received awards for my hard work and determination and I was thinking of telling the interviewer this. But i fear…

This open post was written 11 months, 3 weeks ago | V/U/S: 303, 8, 3 | Edit Post | Leave a reply | Report Post

Reciprocity (0)

Since writing this post Anonymous may have helped people, but has not within the last 4 days.

Post Tags (10)

learning disability, determination, Experience, disability, Interview, learning, college, Teacher, letter, Hard (How Tags Affect Reciprocity)

Replies (8)

Where were you?

Click and drag to move the map around. FAQ: How we place people on this map »
You can also watch events on Help.com as they happen

Mouse over the map for 2 seconds to see an expanded, interactive view

Anonymous #
11 months, 3 weeks ago (7 minutes after post)

I would focus on getting the job. Reading your post it is obvious you are an intelligent person. Get the job and once you are offered the job, inform your new boss. Learning difficulties is extremely vague and nobody can be clear what yours particularly means and sometimes it takes AGES to explain. Tell your employer what you can do. Focus on your abilities not your disabilties.

You are an intelligent person, use that to get you to the interview and then, after you have been offered the position, disclose it then. Good luck.

Anonymous #
11 months, 3 weeks ago (14 minutes after post)

hmm i guess you are right. I will just focus on the positives I guess then.

IamArn 1 #
Glasgow, V2, GB | 11 months, 3 weeks ago (16 minutes after post)

It would depend on where you live/ work. If its in the UK, i would show them the letter and inform them proir to interview, it will make them more understaniding and increase your chances of getting a job imo.

Help me with: How many others find themselves on and off this site in phases?

Anonymous #
11 months, 3 weeks ago (20 minutes after post)

IamArn wrote:
It would depend on where you live/ work. If its in the UK, i would show them the letter and inform them proir to interview, it will make them more understaniding and increase your chances of getting a job imo.

I am in the UK and I would say, no, no and no. I am disabled and if I am having a good day, I can wing it and nobody will know but employers want ‘perfect’ employers and you do not want to give them anything to suggest otherwise. They make think, your LD may make you aggressive, lazy, moody, etc. That you will be off all the time. People are so ignorant. Some think people with LDs can’t read or write! It is your job to prove them wrong. Don’t to into it until you have to or unless you need to. Work on writing a killer CV and Executive Summary. I wrote a post to someone about Executive Summaries and I will post it after this one.

Anonymous #
11 months, 3 weeks ago (24 minutes after post)

Here the post

http://help.com/post/548673-i-need-ad…

Again, good luck!

Anonymous #
11 months, 2 weeks ago (4 days, 12 hours after post)

O ty so much. I never wrote an executive summary before… I did for a project though, but never for a job setting. I usually able to get a callback through my cover letter.

Anyways, my high school teacher wrote me a recommendation letter, not specifically labeling that I have LD, but she said something similar about my work ability, but that I challenged myself and work hard to achieve. I got the job as aftr school teacher even though I screw up in interview and didn’t answer her questions the way it should have been said, but she said its fine and that its all about experience.

Anonymous #
11 months, 2 weeks ago (4 days, 12 hours after post)

but she was rude imo, she was like well you look normal to me. and kpt saying i look like a kid… so annoying

Anonymous #
11 months, 2 weeks ago (4 days, 13 hours after post)

Anonymous wrote:
but she was rude imo, she was like well you look normal to me. and kpt saying i look like a kid… so annoying

Take it all as a compliment. Having an LD never meant you were abnormal and amazing people like you are educating people who have such low expectations. And looking like a kid is a compliment. Children are beautiful and it means that you aren’t going to age quickly, which is also a good thing. From the little you’ve expressed on this op I can summarise

YOU HAVE A LOT GOING ON!

Invite Others to Help

A logged in and verified Help.com member has the ability to setup a Friends List and invite others to help with posts.

college help: Is it a bad idea to tell employees about my learning disability? - Help.com

Is it a bad idea to tell employees about my learning disability?

Reciprocity (0)

Post Tags (10)

Replies (8)

Invite Others to Help

Help.com Homepage