Since its debut last year during Autism Awareness Month, OAR’s employment initiative, Hire Autism, has grown with more than 100 applicants, 31 employers, and an average of 25 jobs weekly. Most important, since October, Hire Autism has helped 13 individuals with autism find jobs. The program continues to serve the Northern Virginia area, with plans to expand nationally soon.
OAR is also developing a hands-on Hire Autism Advocates program. This new program will connect job applicants with mentors to assist them throughout the job search process. OAR has proven this personalized approach is key in helping applicants find jobs. OAR plans to have up to 10 Hire Autism advocates assisting applicants by the end of 2018.
Interested job seekers in the Northern Virginia area are encouraged to sign up. Go to HireAutism.org and select “Create Account” in the top right corner. Follow the “Job Seekers” instructions to create a personal profile. Once you have created an account, you can browse job postings and apply for jobs. Applicants can also upload a resume and create a cover letter. In some cases, applicants may be directed to a company’s website career page to complete an application for the job they are interested in. Applicants can also find useful employment tips on the resource page. For assistance, please email help@hireautism.org.
OAR seeks to recruit businesses that demonstrate a commitment to workplace diversity and wish to learn more about Hire Autism’s applicants and provide opportunities for qualified candidates. OAR provides a range of employment opportunities for candidates to choose from in a variety of industries including but not limited to food service, retail, entertainment, hospitality, information technology, distribution, and customer service. To become a Hire Autism employer partner, please go to HireAutism.org and register as a job poster. Please direct questions to help@hireautism.org.
There are many ways you can get involved with Hire Autism. If you are a person with autism looking for a job in the Northern Virginia area, sign up. Or, if you are the parent, friend, mentor, or job coach to a potential Hire Autism applicant, please tell them about it. You can also help by spreading the word about the Hire Autism website to your friends and family using social media. If you know of any businesses in the Northern Virginia area that may be interested, give them OAR’s informational brochure. If you like to write and are interested in the topic of adult employment, contribute to the Hire Autism blog.
To learn more about how you can get involved or to request brochures and other Hire Autism promotional materials to share, contact info@hireautism.org.
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