seekers, they need to do more than understand the job seeker's personal and professional goals—they also need to know exactly what the employers are looking for. That's what Working Relationships is about: securing satisfying jobs for people with disabilities by fostering partnerships between employment specialists and businesses. A must-read for all employment service providers and for anyone interested in employment of people with disabilities, this book helps readersunderstand the theoretical framework for improving career development practices through relationship buildingunderstand what employers want and expect from employment service providerslearn about the building blocks of strong partnerships with employers: beliefs and values, communication skills, multicultural competence, ethics, and self-efficacyfind practical guidelines for getting to know both job seekers and employers, marketing proactively to businesses, matching job seeker characteristics with employer needs, and using the tenets of quality customer service when working with employersconsider the possibility of non-traditional employment through customized job consultationdiscover strategies for improving job retention and promoting career advancement for people with disabilitiesexplore specific ways to make employment service programs more customer-oriented, convenient, and understandable to employersFilled with helpful case studies and examples, this valuable resource will help employment specialists develop strong, respectful partnerships with businesses—partnerships that will lead to rewarding careers for people with disabilities.

Hide more