This summer, Wheels in the City came to you from a children’s summer camp where I worked as a Leadership Coordinator. I was very glad to leave the city, and I felt good about the new job. But I also sympathize with those who had to go on the summer job hunt. Finding the right one is not easy, and having a disability can complicate things; knowing this, I have gathered a few pointers that may ease the process.

First, my employment came about at least in part because of my assumption that I was just like everyone else. When my able-bodied friends and I became too old to attend camp, they applied to work on staff; I wasn’t going to let my disability stand in my way, so I decided to apply, just like them. In the meantime however, I had to consider the logistics of fulfilling responsibilities at camp. I knew life-guarding was out of the question, and I figured sports coordination would be more physical work than I could handle. But I loved drama, so I proposed to run a drama program at camp. In my interview, I expressed both what I could, and could not do. You may not see your limitations as a selling point, but it is important to have a thorough understanding of them and be open about them - not only for honesty’s sake, but also so that you do not fall short of your employer’s expectations.

Despite my openness, I struggled much more than I expected to, and burdened myself with trying to compensate for my limitations by exhausting my talents. That was three summers ago. Wanting to be at camp again this year, I applied to be Special Needs Coordinator, knowing that in that job my disability would not hinder my responsibilities.  

To my surprise, having considered my skills and limitations, the camp thought I would be best suited to the Leadership Coordinator’s position, and made me responsible for fourteen to eighteen-year-olds at camp. I did face many challenges that I was not expecting over the summer, both physical and non-physical, but I was able to perform the fundamental duties expected of me. The great thing is that I was forced to learn, adapt and grow like everyone else. After all, isn’t it the best of both worlds if you’re actually learning on the job?

So on that note, hit the job market and keep on rolling in the city.

~ Chantal