Just reject this guy. He’s in a wheelchair. That’ll be a real hassle.
In 2015, I was looking for an internship. I researched various organisations, so I could make a well-considered choice about where I could further develop my talents.
As thorough as my research was, that’s how fast I got rejected:
- “You don’t fit the job profile.”
- “You don’t have the competencies we’re looking for.”
- “Unfortunately, the position has just been filled.”
60 times in total. It hurt. It did something to my confidence. Why did my fellow students manage to find an internship so easily?
There was one paragraph in my cover letter that always came back up: my disability.
Why I am who I am thanks to my disability
My disability is part of who I was and has shaped me into who I am. Thanks to my disability, I’m creative, I think in possibilities, and I know how to deal with challenges and setbacks. Not despite, but thanks to my disability, I’ve been able to develop my talents.
I saw my talents, others mostly saw an extra investment and a “hassle.” It felt like I was reduced to my disability, as if that made up my entire identity. But my identity is made up of so much more.
Just because others don’t see your talent doesn’t mean you don’t have any. That’s exactly why I started Kemai Coaching: to help people embrace their identity and make their talents visible.
Want tips on how to make your talents visible? You can read it in this blog.