Speech and moving on

[Doonhamer]

Hi all,

 

The last year hasn't been too bad. I can cross vision off the list, leaving me just a few niggling things.  One of this is my speech.  

 

Again, shouldn't be too bad, but comes out to be an annoyance if I'm nervous and stressed.  I can't think of the right words - that would normally come without any problems. Grrr!

 

Anyway, this turns out to be quite upsetting because I need to get a new job (no further contracts).  Shouldn't be a problem, really?  My brain works, and everything should be fine.  But in the interview, I panic and then I can't answer properly - much worse than previously.  A dream job unlike normally too.

 

What should I do?  Should I see how this pans out?  If I don't get the job, forget and move on?  

Or should I send a follow-up, mention my background as to why some of my answers were stuttery and ?

 

Off now to spend the rest of the day 😭  My husband says I'm meant to be happy that I'm alive, so I know this should be nothing 😳

[SarahLS]

Hi,

12 months after my SAH my job post got deleted and I had to apply for new positions.

Like you I am so much better than I ever imagined but there's no way I could hold a multi part question in my memory and answer it in a formal situation (or to be honest in an informal situation!), I also struggle with finding the right word. I took advice from an occupational health appointment and my specialist and I do declare myself as a disabled applicant for roles.

 

If I get as far as the interview stage and I'm asked what reasonable adjustments they need to make I ask for the questions to be given to me in written format and also to be allowed a pen and note paper for scribbling key words.

 

I've got as far as interview stage on about 80% of my applications and in these interviews it has been a mix of being given the questions 10 minutes or so in advance of my time so I can jot down key words, or them being given to me in the room as the interview started.

 

My specialist also wrote a letter for me to show HR in any job outlining exactly what my limitations are.

 

I hope this is of some help (I got the third position I applied for - although I have had a couple of interviews since)

Sarah

[Doonhamer]

Hi Sarah,

 

12 months... very similar to me - will be that in February.  Thanks so much for your information - you understand the problem exactly!

 

I'm struggling - I just don't know whether I should accept the disability.  It's so weird how I can't process verbal information as much as visual (notes, etc.).  What is so hard is that I must have got a bit better - I've seen improvements - but they disappear if I'm mildly nervous or agitated.  It's so stupid (me!).

 

So you say your job was deleted - is this a redundancy?  Mine happened in 2017, leaving me contracting and that world is changing now.  Maybe I should seek out a statement from a specialist before I apply for another job.  If I'd had the questions before they started - maybe that would have helped today.

 

Your answer sounds very positive.  I hope you get the next job! 

 

Thanks!

 

Fiona

[subzero]

 

Hello Fiona .... sorry to hear that you are struggling in an interview situation following your SAH.

 

I sympathise with you as you put yourself in a situation where the pressure is on from yourself because you really want the job, and the very fact that for most people an interview is always an apprehensive time.  

 

It may well be that explaining about your SAH upfront in the interview might have reduced the pressure.  In your application for the post did your health not come up in the employers application pro forma?

 

As you know, your bleed has caused trauma to your brain and in recovery, your brain is attempting to reroute around the damage to get to the answers you want. (Our Mod Daffodil has often commented on the specifics of this and I do recommend you search on her posts. Her answers I am sure will resonate with your current reservations.)

 

Also, would it have helped if you had done  `role play` interviews with a friend prior to the interview proper?  This might have helped you understand how your brain would react to constant questioning about your ability to do the job. 

 

I do hope you do not give up, and persevere .... many of our members are resolute in finding ways around SAH to get to where they want to be.

Keep positive going forward.

 

I wish you well 

 

 

Subs

 

 

 

 

[Daffodil]

I would definately disclose with a statement in advance. I changed role after mine when 8 g9t back to work after a long 18 months absence but I told anyone about what I needed to be at my most effective.

 

Most employers ask if you wish to disclose a disability and if you need any adjustment at interview . Now you could argue it will lose you interviews ( this is against the law but tricky to prove)   But I the way I see it is that disclosing and then getting interview should help if you then went on to get the job as would show they are an open minded employer but also likely to be able to help with any continued adjustment, if you choose not to disclose that’s ok too but as we all know hesitation and losing words can be not ideal in interview. 

 

Practice the interview, but also practice listening to something , could be an audio book,  and then after a couple of minutes trying to summarise what you heard out loud. The act of concentrating to what’s being said and making connections with subject is testing your memory filing cabinet...short term memory is most affected by SAH and when you struggle with it words can fly away or get mismatched. Slow it down, pause, maybe repeat questions if that helps. 

[SarahLS]

Hi Fiona,

 

Thanks for your encouragement to keep going with the applications, I am lucky that I have a job with a lot of positives but although still in the library world it no longer has anything to do with books or people - the two aspects I enjoyed the most.

The whole job thing last year was a bit of a saga...

 

My initial post was deleted in a council restructure and it did look like I was going to be made redundant but all of my colleagues fought against this on my behalf and I was grudgingly given the right to apply for 4 news posts - however health reasons meant that in fact although I had to apply for, and be interviewed, for three of the jobs there was only one role that was possible. Unsurprisingly the stress of this made the interviews even harder!

 

I did (and still do) feel very uneasy declaring myself as a disabled candidate on application forms as of course most people assume (wrongly) that disabilities are obvious but apart from being asked what adjustments are needed for the interview (generally by HR departments not the interviewer)

 

I've not had to disclose more until further through the recruitment process. Ironically I've had only 2 days off sick in the last year and the person who got the new role that was created in place of my post called in sick on the 2nd day... you have to laugh.

 

Good luck with the applications and interviews- practicing is a good idea, but I'd also arrange for that to include a recreation of your journey time to an interview location, and that dreaded waiting to be called in time as they I found they added a lot to the stress and fatigue of the process,

 

Sarah 

[Doonhamer]

Thanks everyone - really amazed at all of this - something practicing that might make a difference.  I've found a gap that I haven't needed before, and I had no idea how to go about this, but you've got ways in which to attempt this.

 

I'm thinking of going to discuss with HR in the NHS (a different job, a third application without a response). I might ask them generally about whether they require this or not.

 

In the meantime I will definitely do the audio book / summarising - this is a great start.

 

Funny... the person trying to sell the job made me want the job more, which had a detrimental effect!  If I hadn't cared about the job I wouldn't have been nervous. 😳