Job searching can be a stressful experience filled with countless applications, phone screens and interview outfit choices. Preparation and accommodations can help prevent hearing loss from adding unnecessary stress to your job search.
Personal and Workplace Accommodations
A couple of personal measures you can take to reduce the stress of hearing loss include but are not limited to:
- Wear hearing aids. Hearing aids can help in an interview by amplifying speech sounds and suppressing ambient background noise to make communication crystal clear. Many of today’s hearing aids come with Bluetooth® technology that allows you to connect directly to your computer audio, making video call interviews easier than ever.
- Search in the right places. There are several websites and organizations specifically designed to help people with hearing loss find a job tailored to their skills and needs. Consider taking advantage of these services to gain an extra edge in your job search.
In addition to personal accommodations and measures, you can request accommodations from your potential place of employment. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) stipulates that potential employers provide reasonable accommodation, including but not limited to:
- Qualified note-taker
- Qualified sign language interpreter
- Speech amplifier technology
- Cued-speech interpreter
- Tactile interpreter
- Real-time captioning services
- Written materials
The ADA requires all employers to provide one of the above, or another reasonable request, for your interview to ensure that you receive the same chance at the position as your counterparts without hearing loss.
How to Prepare for Your Interview
Interviewing with hearing loss comes with a little extra stress. Preparing for your interview ahead of time can help reduce some of this stress and ensure the easiest job search possible. A couple of ways you can create ease in your interview include:
- Disclose your hearing loss ahead of time. Your phone screening or cover letter are great times to disclose your hearing loss to your potential employer. Disclosing this information ahead of time will give your employer enough time to provide the necessary accommodation for your hearing loss.
- Practice. A lot of interviews feature the same or similar questions. Look up five to 10 of your field’s most common interview questions and write out or practice saying your answers. Practicing beforehand will help you feel confident and ready for anything your interviewer can throw at you.
- Destress. Whether you grab a calming herbal tea or take a walk through Dolores Park, engaging in a calming activity before your interview will help keep you stress-free and confident.
For more information on treating or managing your hearing loss, contact San Francisco Audiology today to make an appointment with one of our trusted specialists.