American companies are impatient....then how to get employment when you are a slow speaker ?

Question

I have stuttering and i speak slowly and sometimes i blank out and can't think fast. I'm 27 , just have trouble with speech but otherwise i'm fine and i'm creative and a hardworker. But haven'tbeen able to find work cause nobody wants people like me.

The usual job ads say "We need an outgoing person with exceptional interpersonal and speaking skills"..and that's just for an office assistant. I have all the skills they need except that i'm slow and stutter and i blank out often..

so what can i do, should i just go for a minimum wage job? but is that the only thing to do?

Answer 1

There are plenty of other types of jobs that do not require you to speak or interact with the public or with others. Some of them are even high-tech jobs that require you only to 'know your stuff'...be an expert in your chosen field.

If you are as good as you say you are...then it should be no problem to get some certifications in a technical field (Cisco Academy for instance). You may not get up to the executive level, but you'd most likely never get there from an office assistant position either...the most you could hope for there is to be over a couple of other assistants, unless you get extra schooling.

There are also the trades...many of which start out much higher than minimum wage. Again, you won't get 'rich' or be an executive, but you can make a decent living and do some interesting work as a carpenter, electrician, plumber...etc. Some construction engineers make a LOT of money.

Of course, it's easy to blame your situation on your speech impediment, but there have been many people who have gotten far in life with stuttering or blanking out, and many others who have taken speech therapy to help themselves.

Look at the salaries and job titles...the only limit to what you can do is your own perception of yourself. It's up to YOU to figure out what's best for you.

Answer 2

I know what it's like... I have meniere's disease, so I have problems with my hearing and understanding people. This really limits my ability to grow in my job since I can't do a lot of things that the other people do, like talk on the phone, understand what's going on in meetings or in a group talk situation. I miss a lot of information so I end up not being up to date, I can only get good info by reading. I also have problems with my memory, not remembering words.
Unfortunately, people with handicaps have always been treated worse than normal people. However, things are a lot better for us now than they were 100 years ago, when a lot of handicaped people had to resort to begging.
I would say don't go for a minimum wage job that will make you unhappy. If you're unhappy, you won't be able to do a good job to excel in that job and move up the ladder (which is where I'm stuck).
I know about most job ads... "We want a perfect person who will work for a least amount of dollars." but you need to be aware of the fact that MOST jobs are never advertised.
There are a LOT more jobs out there than you see advertised.
I recommend you reading the book "What color is your parachute for 2007" In there there is another book he recommends for handicaped people.
Yeah, the job market situation sucks, but I know you can do it. A lot of normal people take things for granted. like the ability to talk!

Answer 3

Get help with your speaking by checking out the Stuttering Foundation at www.stutteringhelp.org. I have several uncles and cousins who used to stutter that said the book "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" by the Foundation helped them. There is a referral list of specialists in stuttering on the web site. Maybe you can find one near you. Check under "brochures for all ages" for the brochure for employers, download it and print it out, and take it with you to an interview.

Joining a Toastmasters Club will give you a place to practice speaking, and I have heard that it has helped many who stutter.

Answer 4

If a doctor can tell you that its a medical condition, they may not be allowed to not hire you based on that fact alone. Why not look into a job where you have to speak less?