Seeking Employment
Survivors of TBI and IPV experience challenges in seeking employment. For example, women who lost their jobs due to IPV may suffer mental health challenges or have a sporadic work history that affects their ability to get hired.6 Individuals returning to work after sustaining a TBI report fear of seeking a new job due to difficulty learning new things (e.g., new routines, colleagues, and computer systems).7 This section on seeking employment outlines a list of challenges experienced by women survivors of IPV and TBI when finding work and ways in which service providers can support them.
Commonly experienced challenges & what you can do about it
Disability related challenges
- Know your rights around accommodation and employer expectations
- Talk to an employment counsellor who is knowledgeable about disability concerns
- Check with local disability support organizations and/or local brain injury support organizations to see if they can suggest available employment supports
- Ask your support providers if there are local employers who are disability and/or IPV informed and may be better equipped to accommodate a survivor’s needs
Identifying Appropriate Jobs
- Talk to an employment counsellor
- Make a list of jobs you would like and discuss them with your counsellor
- Explore ‘Skills Matching’ options
- Think about what you are good at and what you would like to do
- Dare to Dream! Talk to your IPV and/or TBI support professionals about how to achieve your employment goals.
Resume writing
- Get help from an employment centre
- Follow other examples
- Ask your IPV and/or TBI support providers for referral to employment support agencies
- Help identify strengths and write them down
- Support in reframing strengths and skills into transferable job skills
Discussing work history, particularly if it has been interrupted as a result of IPV can be triggering to some survivors. Be prepared to help a survivor work through this as you work through building or revising their resume.
Interview protocols
- Ask advice from support providers (e.g. counsellors, advisors, employment centres) about what to expect in an interview, what clothing is appropriate, and how to address any safety concerns you have
- Role play answering typical questions with a friend or counsellor
- Make a plan for what you will do if you start to feel uncomfortable during an interview
The uncertainty around what an interview experience will be like can be a source of anxiety for survivors. Working through some potential scenarios ahead of time can help quell that anxiety.