Page 37 - 2024 May report

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FINAL REPORT (6) This report focuses on three primary themes that emerged from our analysis:
1. Graduates and students navigated multiple challenges when transitioning to (or preparing to transition to) post-college employment.
2. Graduates and students identified a range of campus experiences they felt supported their career development, including services offered by the career services office, but generally did not receive disability-specific career development support.
3. Graduates and students described having to take initiative to make their career plans a reality.
Graduates and students navigated multiple challenges when transitioning to (or preparing to transition to) their post-college careers.
Graduates and current students supported by the Johnson Scholarship Foundation described encountering various challenges and concerns as they prepared to transition into their post-college careers. When it came to the job market, graduates and students conveyed the challenging task of securing employment in a competitive job market which led to anxiety. For example, they expressed concerns about finding the type of position they desired or the numerous job applications they would need to submit to secure employment. As one of the current students expressed,
My plan is really just do what everyone else does out of college, start that hunt. I could be applying for upwards of 100 like positions, because as anyone will tell you, your first job is the hardest one to get.
Some graduates and current students encountered difficulties aligning their career paths with their college majors. Others successfully pursued career paths directly related to their fields. It is worth noting that while some graduates and students secured jobs related to their majors by exploring various related opportunities (e.g., working as a medical scribe prior to applying to medical school), others solely focused on positions directly aligned with their majors, potentially overlooking alternate roles or career pathways within their fields.
Several students articulated concerns regarding the potential impact of their disabilities on their future employment. Their concerns included apprehensions about prospective employers’ ability to provide access to necessary accommodations, how their disability might affect their future employment, or how they might be perceived by potential employers. Relatedly, some students were concerned about their ability to access essential services if they were to relocate out of state for a prospective employer. This added an additional layer of complexity to their career planning as they risked losing the supports they were receiving in-state.
When seeking employment, graduates and current students discussed their perspectives on whether or not to disclose their disability during the interview process. Some graduates and students opted to disclose their disability, while others chose not to. The consensus among graduates and current students was that they lacked sufficient and reliable information about how disclosing their disability would impact their chances of securing employment. One current student explained, “One of the most important things we have to make a decision about is when do we disclose. What do we tell our employer? Do we disclose during the interview process and risk getting disqualified?” Asking a different student about disclosure, the student responded, “I don’t exactly know how to go about disclosing my disability, because up until [now] I was told it was best not to.”
None of the participants described receiving guidance or support from their campus career or disability services offices regarding whether or how to disclose. Without reliable and trusted information, most students made the decision independently, drawing from past experiences, peer feedback, perceived stigma, discrimination, and other factors.
Education / A Powerful force for change Page 35