Career Support: Students with Disabilities

Finding a career after graduating college can be a daunting prospect for many students, but it can feel especially challenging for students with disabilities.  Students with physical or emotional disabilities may face greater challenges, including:

• Fear of disclosing disabilities during the application or interviewing process.
• Inadequate information regarding disability rights
• Concern about managing discriminatory practices

As a result, recent graduates with disabilities may be less likely to find employment after graduation than those without disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

What can you do?

Connect with our great Career Exploration staff to investigate various career paths or internship opportunities. Work-learning and knowing what to expect can make a big difference!

Service learning can also assist students with experiences that are work learning opportunities and a way to mobilize action!  Connect with Mac’s Community Engagement Center.

Connect with the Center for Disability Resources on specific questions related to disability disclosure, and stay tuned for events on this!

Job Fair Events

Disability:IN

Virtual Job Fair for Students with Disabilities IN Minnesota!

This year Disability:IN Minnesota is hosting its annual Job Fair for individuals with disabilities.  This year’s event will be held virtually on Nov. 6^th from 8:00 to 12:00 and supported by the Twin West Chamber of Commerce Elevate Futures platform where students can build their individual profile.

Employers will have their virtual booths open to attendees three days in advance of the event.

Students will then be able to schedule 10 to 15 minute sessions with HR reps for the day of the fair itself.

Mac graduates have been attended and placed through this program at the Mayo Clinic and Health Partners!  Join us!

Job and Internship National Resources

• Workforce Recruitment Program — Applications for this year have closed.  Stay tuned for updates!

Other Options

• Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities — Discover how COSD can help you find a meaningful career as you navigate through school.
• Bender Consulting assists individuals with disabilities in getting hired and recruited for positions within the private and public sector.
• Lime Connect — Lime Connect assists students with scholarships, professional development webinars along with information about internships, and full-time job opportunities.
• American Association for Advancement of the Sciences Entry Point is a program that offers internship opportunities for students with disabilities. Internships range in discipline from computer science, business to science and engineering.
• disABLEd Person, Inc. — Great resource for job listings and scholarship information.
• The American Association of People with Disabilities provides a Congressional Internship Program for college students with disabilities. It’s open to undergraduate and graduate students, in addition to recent grads.
• Great With Disability — Their mission is to ensure that having a disability or long-term health condition doesn’t prevent anyone from having the career that they want to have and assists employers in recruiting strong talent!
• The Sierra Group — one-stop-shop for disability training recruiting and other career needs.
• Federal Jobs Net — helps disabled individuals find federal government employment.
• Office of Personnel Management (OPM) — consult the “Job Seekers with Disabilities” link for a variety of resources.
• Ability Links — job opportunity website for people with disabilities.
• Hire Disability Solutions — job opportunity website for people with disabilities and employers seeking to recruit them.