News and Knowledge

Job seekers surveyed by Hire Autism overwhelmingly reported that they benefited from the Hire Autism navigators matched to help prepare them for their job searches. That feedback came from a survey OAR recently sent out to solicit feedback from job seekers who have worked with navigators, volunteers trained to help job seekers with resume/cover letter reviews, interview preparation, and job search strategies. Hire Autism offers free support to job seekers thanks to this group of dedicated volunteers.

Last month, Hire Autism staff trained a fourth cohort of navigators, adding five more volunteers to the diverse group of professionals and autism parents all helping job seekers. The group included Kayla Birdsall, Karen Roberts, Haroon Saeed, Allison Seamans, and Carol Shih. With the addition of those most recently trained volunteers, Hire Autism has officially trained 20 navigators helping job seekers all over the nation.

One young job seeker, Matt Jaffe, said the experience of working with Hire Autism navigator, Dana Kanhai, helped him effectively prepare for his search by working on his resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills as well as identify the right job for him. “After I sent my resumes to a few places, I heard back from employers pretty quickly and they reached out to me to set up an interview,” he said.

Jaffe found a job soon after finishing his work with Kanhai. “I would recommend fellow job seekers like myself to take advantage of the resources given to you. They are really useful and it includes helpful tips about finding a job. The Navigator Program cares about their clients and also wants them to succeed in finding a job.”

OAR is seeking more volunteers in 2021 to help make an impact on job seekers like Jaffe. Virtual training is available to interested volunteers quarterly starting in January. Learn more or sign up.