[Jobs] piano tuners

[Dick Davis]

Hi, Marshall,

A lot depends on whether it is actually positive.  It may not be.  In that
case, you need to point out the characteristics (better training, more
experience, at top of your class, etc.) that make you better than most
sighted people. In any job interview, you must be able to answer two
questions:

1. Why should I hire you?
2. Why are you better than anyone else I could hire?

It may be that your blindness does make you a better candidate.  If so, it
would probably be as a result of how you dealt with blindness rather than
the blindness itself.  For example, are you better organized?  Do you use
your time better?  Did you work extra hard and do more because you knew a
blind person might have more trouble getting a job?  There are other,
possibly better questions, but these are the ones I could think of on the
fly.  

If your blindness does make you a better candidate, you need to psych
yourself up so you radiate confidence.  Assume that you will get the job.
Never, never go into a job acting like an applicant for welfare, as it will
kill the interview for you.  Think: "Mr. /Ms. Employer, there is no way you
are going to find anyone as good as me," until you believe it.  You will
convey that confidence in a whole host of ways.  It may help if you remember
these two things:

1. The interviewer is going to be a little afraid if he/she has never
interviewed a blind person before.  Therefore, you must present your
blindness as a fact, tell him/her it's no big deal to you, and offer to
answer any questions he/she may have about it.  Try to put him/her at ease
and establish yourself as a resource to help them understand how you do
things.  

2. Regardless of the number of people he/she talks to, you will have the
interviewer's undivided attention during the interview and you will be the
one applicant he/she will always remember.  Use it to your benefit.  When
you find yourself in the spotlight, perform!

We work a lot in our careers classes on this subject, so I know these
suggestions will work.   

Dick Davis
BLIND, Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:jobs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
pianotune05 at comcast.net
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 12:27 PM
To: jobs at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Jobs] piano tuners

Hi Robert,
Great ideas, and I didn' t know that electronic key boards could be tuned so
to speak.  Do you know where one could learn how to adjust these new gagets
as I call them, not real pianos. :)  

I wish I went to the piano hospial ,but finances and relocating weren't a
possibility.  Even if I could receive help with the education cost, they
usually don't pay for living expenses.  Pam, do you know if they place piano
tuners in jobs.  

Fortunately, I'm in an area with great transportation for the most part,
Chicago.  A question I have is, how can i make being partially sighted a
positive thing for a piano store rather than a negitive one?  Thanks
all.Talk to you when I get back on Saturday.
Marshall Gisondi
Piano Tuner/Technician

Villa Park, 
630-833-3978