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CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine, established in 1986, is the nation's first and only career-guidance and recruitment magazine for people with disabilities who are at undergraduate, graduate, or professional levels. Each issue features a special Braille section.

CAREERS & the disABLED has won many awards, including several media "Award of Excellence" acknowledgments from the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.

This magazine reaches people with disabilities nationwide at their home addresses, colleges and universities, and chapters of student and professional organizations through a paid subscription.


CAREERS & the disABLED

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 Business Services Booming

Amanda N. Wegner
 
WITH AN ANTICIPATED GROWTH OF 4 MILLION JOBS, THE FIELD IS PRIMED FOR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
 
AS THE NATIONAL ECONOMY CONTINUES TO SHIFT FROM PRODUCING GOODS TO PROVIDING SERVICES, THE BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR IS DEFINITELY ON THE WINNING SIDE OF THE EQUATION. IN FACT, THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS EXPECTS THAT BY 2018, NEARLY 4 MILLION JOBS WILL BE CREATED IN THIS SECTOR, WHICH INCLUDES FINANCE, BANKING, LAW, AND SIMILAR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. AS A BONUS, IT’S A PARTICULARLY ACCOMMODATING SECTOR FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
 
HERE, FOUR PROFESSIONALS DISCUSS THEIR CAREERS AND SHARE THEIR ADVICE FOR SUCCEEDING IN THIS GROWING, WELCOMING INDUSTRY.
 
NO LIMITS AT CHARLES SCHWAB
 
AS CHARLES SCHWAB’S VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE TRANSFORMATION, IT’S BRIAN GODFREY’S JOB TO OVERSEE AND IMPROVE THE PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS THE COMPANY RELIES ON TO ENSURE ALL ITS REPORTING REQUIREMENTS RUN SMOOTHLY.
 
“I’m building a roadmap to transform the system,” says Godfrey. “For instance, I recently implemented a new data platform that maintains all the data and reference information about securities that are held by Schwab clients.”
 
Among other things, Godfrey’s job requires him to look at huge amounts of data, despite the fact that he has difficulty reading a spreadsheet due to his complete loss of central vision. But that hasn’t stopped him from meeting expectations — and exceeding them — in his work at Charles Schwab over the last two decades.
 
“Here I am, dealing with numbers and reporting and huge amounts of data, yet I struggle to read a spreadsheet,” says Godfrey, who has Stargardt disease, an inherited disease similar to age-related macular degeneration. “The message in this is to not limit yourself, because you can work through it.”
 
While he joined the finance team in November 2015, he’s held a variety of roles in his 20 years with the company. A common theme across his different positions is leading teams and being responsible for processes and systems.
 
“I didn’t come up as an accountant, but applying the skills, knowledge, and experience I’ve gained allows me to be successful,” says Godfrey, who has a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA. “My career has continued to build on itself and tackle bigger and bigger problems that require getting more people at senior levels on the same page to get something done.”
 
It’s this collaboration to achieve what’s in the best interest of the company’s clients that fuels Godfrey’s passion for this work.
 
“My work is focused on solving problems, bringing clarity to processes, and simplifying them, but what I enjoy most is the interaction with people to achieve that.”
 
What drew Godfrey to the company is its vision and “how we attempt to do everything through the client’s eyes. It’s great to be working for a place where the founder is such an influential, quality person, and you can feel proud to be part of that vision.”
 
Similarly, Schwab focuses on the best interest of its employees to help them be the best they can, something Godfrey has experienced firsthand.
 
“Schwab makes it easy for me to do my job; I feel that I can have whatever technology I need to do my work,” he explains. “Beyond that, the company treats me like anyone else, with the same expectations, and people are understanding and empathetic. I appreciate that.”
 
He also appreciates how Schwab, which is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, supports its employees in their personal pursuits. Godfrey serves on the board of a local chapter of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and Charles Schwab Foundation has supported the Foundation Fighting Blindness with grants and matching donations since 1998.
 
For career info, visit aboutschwab.com/work-at-schwab
 
ON THE RIGHT TRACK AT NORTHERN TRUST
 
LEVINE, AN INVESTMENT ASSOCIATE, IS ON THE INVESTMENT TRACK WITHIN NORTHERN TRUST’S ROTATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AN 18-MONTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. EMPLOYEES CHOSEN FOR THE PROGRAM EXPLORE THEIR AREAS OF INTEREST BY WORKING IN A DIFFERENT DIVISION EVERY FEW MONTHS. THERE CAN BE A STEEP LEARNING CURVE FOR EMPLOYEES IN THE ROTATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AS THE TEAM DEALS WITH A BROAD ARRAY OF INVESTMENT TOPICS ON A DAILY BASIS.
 
“Currently, I am working with the Global Equity Strategy team, which collaborates with investors to provide an optimal path to achieve their investment objectives,” says Levine, who is based out of company headquarters in Chicago, IL. “By providing investment thought leadership to investors, the team is responsible for developing comprehensive investment solutions and insights across a wide range of strategies.”
 
The team also regularly publishes thought leadership pieces on topics relevant to global equity markets.
 
“My favorite part about this rotation, other than the people that I work with, is the ability to work and collaborate across different business units to achieve one common goal,” says Levine.
 
When Levine was growing up, it was his dream to become a surgeon. However, that changed after his first year as a biomedical sciences major at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
 
“My interest in science started to wane,” says Levine. “I decided that it was time to shift my focus completely to finance. Like everyone says, the rest is history!”
 
To succeed in this field, great problem solving, financial analysis, and communication skills are musts. Candidates must also be able to work in both a team environment and independently.
 
“And above all, you must be intellectually curious,” Levine acknowledges.
 
From his academic experience at RIT, to an internship with the Central Bank of Ireland, to being a Level II CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) candidate, Levine has a solid base of skills and technical tools at his disposal. However, he’s constantly learning new skills in his fun, but challenging, role. In many ways, Levine is living his career advice.
 
“A career is a journey, not a destination. So don’t expect to get at the end point too soon,” he advises.
 
With the company for almost three years, it was a childhood friend who also works at Northern Trust that connected him with the company.
 
“He explained Northern Trust’s commitment to having a diverse workforce and how the company is very accommodating to people with disabilities,” says Levine, who is profoundly deaf and requires a sign language interpreter for meetings. “My disability has not affected me while working at Northern Trust, because of the company’s culture and commitment to diversity,” he adds.
 
One of the qualities that makes Northern Trust a great place to work is that all employees have the ability to get involved with the company and make change. Northern Trust has 10 Business Resource Councils that employees can participate, giving every employee the opportunity to engage with other partners on various subjects.
 
For career info, visit careers.northerntrust.com/
 
GROWING A CAREER AT ROBERT HALF
 
MAKING SURE CONTRACTS ARE ADMINISTERED CORRECTLY IS CHRISTINE BURKE’S SPECIALTY.
 
Burke is document contract specialist in the commercial transaction and law department at Robert Half, a global professional staffing services company, working on a wide variety of agreements and addendums for U.S. and Canadian clients. From waivers regarding how employees handle cash and addendums specifying background check requirements, Burke works to ensure the contracts are searchable in the company’s databases, use proper templates, have correct signatures, and adhere to Robert Half legal requirements.
 
She also has a hand in ensuring this work is smooth and efficient; she recently assisted in implementing a new process to review, approve, and upload contracts on a user-friendly interface.
 
“I helped roll out the new process, which has enabled me to quickly and efficiently finalize contracts and get the terms of an agreement into the hands of those who need it in a timely manner,” says Burke, who works in the San Ramon, CA office, company headquarters. There are more than 400 locations worldwide.
 
What Burke likes most about the company is the people she works with and the open communication. “There’s always someone I can go to if I have a question or need to troubleshoot,” she says.
 
In addition, she appreciates how Robert Half invests in her professional development and career growth.
 
A communications major in college, the job “fell into” Burke’s lap via a lead from a Robert Half legal recruiter she had met through friends. It’s not surprising she emphasizes the need to network.
 
“Network, network, network!” says Burke, who has spina bifida. “This doesn’t necessarily mean attending some elite networking seminar. I met my recruiter at a local club, through some mutual friends. Be an active member of your community. Even if you are employed, find something in the outside world you are passionate about to connect to. You never know where the next opportunity for your dream job will come from.”
 
Burke held three temporary positions with Robert Half before gaining her current full-time position. And while she didn’t have experience or education for the position, she was willing and ready to learn.
 
A willingness to learn, try, and stand up for yourself are necessities for those with disabilities.
 
“There’s an apprehension for some job seekers with disabilities that they will get turned away from an employment opportunity, so they may not apply,” says Burke. “There is no denying that the job-seeking process is daunting and often frustrating for people with disabilities. But my mom always taught me that I am my own best advocate. In the workforce, it is always important to focus on what you can do while still acknowledging limitations. Work with your employer to come up with a solution. As a person with a disability you are entitled to a reasonable accommodation from your employer under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Don’t be afraid to speak up with future employers. Collaborative and clear communication is the key to your success.”
 
For career info, visit roberthalf.com/job-seekers
 
PURSUING THE DREAM AT KEYBANK
 
UNDER MICHAEL SIMONSON’S WATCHFUL EYE, KEYBANK IS GROWING AND UPDATING ITS FOOTPRINT.
 
“I oversee corporate and retail projects, building our branches and headquarters facilities, relocating facilities, and modernizing our branches,” says Simonson, KeyBank’s assistant vice president and senior project manager of Corporate Real Estate Solutions.
 
For instance, one significant project Simonson worked on last year was relocating KeyBank’s Toledo headquarters facility and the subsequent sale of the building.
 
Simonson is also involved with the company’s mergers and acquisitions.
 
With bachelor’s degrees in finance and real estate from Cleveland State, Simonson got his start in real estate in Las Vegas. But after he was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which resulted in paraplegia, Simonson returned to Ohio, where he fell upon KeyBank.
 
“I had a few friends employed here, and they’d tell me how great KeyBank was,” recalls Simonson. “And it’s true. They treat employees like somebody, not as a number, and they have given me the ability to learn and grow. For me, that was what I was after.”
 
With the company for 10 years, Simonson was also critical in starting the company’s Project Management Office.
 
“It is so neat to be part of something cutting edge, something that had never been done at Key,” he says. “To know you built an entire department, the processes and procedures that are followed, and it runs like a well-oiled machine, that’s a great accomplishment.”
 
While navigating job sites does offers some challenges to Simonson, he’s always prepared with a portable ramp and the knowledge that having a disability doesn’t preclude you from being successful.
 
“Something that’s been passed down to me through a few generations is to never let someone hold you back on dreams and to never give up on something really want,” says Simonson, explaining that his father and grandfather had disabilities as well. “My dad has always said, ‘while it’s difficult to wait, it’s more difficult to regret.’”
 
By way of personal advice, he adds: “Set your dreams and goals. You might have to fight for them a little, but you’ll get there.”
 
What Simonson enjoys most about KeyBank is how the company lives and fosters its commitment diversity and inclusion. Key was one of the top 10 companies recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal's “12th Annual International Innovation in Diversity Awards” in 2015.
 
“KeyBank truly recognizes diversity, in myself, in others, in the company. They look at everyone as a whole and what their unique background can bring to the company,” he says. “They’ve always assisted me with being the best I can be, and I am never feel out of place or uncomfortable.”
 
Success in this field, says Simonson, comes from having an open mind and being responsive.
 
“The agility to communicate and resolve issues quickly is important,” he says. “You have to be able to look ahead to all possible scenarios, and anticipate and prepare for the unforeseen. That’s going to put you on the right track for success.”
 
For career info, visit careers.key.com/
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