no!all! wrote: » Hi DFTK13, I'm not deaf but do have hearing aids and a moderate to severe hearing loss. I definitely know you'll face some challenges but like a lot of people have said, email and instant messaging work great and it's primarily how I communicate with people. Good luck!
techwizard wrote: » I too, am deaf. I am considered profoundly deaf. At birth my mother passed to me what is called congenital rubella. It affected my hearing during the hearing development stage of growth in the womb. I am completely deaf in my left ear, and partially deaf in my right, and wear a hearing aid to aid my hearing, so I probably hear maybe at about 60-70ish % in my good ear, with the hearing aid. With that all being said, I have had a genuine interest in computers most of my life. I started out as a software tester for Broderbund. You may have played or seen the game "Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?". I was one of the few software/game testers that tested that game. My name nor the names of the testers are not listed in credits or anywhere. Broderbund headquarters was located in San Rafael, California. They are now owned by the Learning Company, if I understand correctly. They produce applications such as Mavis Beacan typing, and a bunch of other software titles. I was very young, maybe 16 or so when I started working for Broderbund, it was probably one of my first jobs. I had to quit after about 6 months because I did not have a car or a way to get to work reliably, and relied very much on public transportation for a short time. Soon after quitting however, I did get my first car. I wished I stayed with Broderbund, but that was not the choice I made. Before working for Broderbund, I tinkered around on a TRS-80 Radio Shack computer. I did all kinds of things with that. I wrote programs in BASIC. I remember saving data to regular tape cassettes, and using the old 5 inch floppy disks, etc. Fast forward a bit to around 1998. I was given my first beige box, with Windows 98 on it. I remember upgrading it so often, I was reinstalling the OS probably once every couple of months. Buy a new hard drive. Re install OS. Eventually, got enough money to buy another computer, then started playing around with installing other types of OS's on the original computer, such as Windows NT 5.0, Linux, etc. Then I got interested in Microsoft Certifications. I planned on working on getting my Windows 98 certification, then I had planned on getting my MCSE after that. Well, life got in the way of that plan. After attempting to start an online retail business in the early 2000's, I had to move on to something else, because it didn't do so well. I attempted to start another business in 2005. A mobile computer repair service. At first it did ok, until more and more people were doing the same thing in my local area. Also, micro computers such as cell phones and laptops and tablets, usage increased, making it tougher to find field work. My mobile computer business started to decline a few years ago. I had a choice to make, either move on to something else, or find work for someone else instead of running my own business. I sought help from a few different sources, because I was attempting to apply for jobs as a disabled, person and am over 40 yrs of age. I was up against potential discriminating factors, my hearing and my age being a couple of them. I sought the help of the Department of Rehabilitation for the State of California. I sought the help of the local case manager at a local medical clinic. I sought the help of the "Job Market" which is kind of like the EDD (Employment Development Department). The "Job Market" sucked. They didn't do a whole lot for me, even though I attended every workshop and did everything they asked for. The Department of Rehabilitation on the other hand did an awesome job. I was assigned a very empathetic and passionate counselor, who was very helpful. They did everything they could to help me. They purchased a phone amplifier. They purchased online training courses for me to pass my A+, Net+, Sec+ and Healthcare IT exams. They purchased the library suite at Testout.com. They purchased all my exam vouchers. They bought me all my books, for the exams. They purchased a tablet for me. They purchased a laptop for me. They helped me improve my interview skills. My break came when I applied for a job at an organization that was looking for a IT specialist. By the time I had applied for that job, over 24 months had passed, and I had already filled out over 200 applications, went to approximately 25 interviews, and out of the 25 interviews I was called back to probably 10 of those at least a second time. I was in at least second place many times. Finally, I was offered a job. I am an Information Systems Specialist for a non-profit organization that has several departments under one name, such as finding medical care for the elderly and disabled, Ombudsman program, VCOR, etc. The hardest part about being deaf is the interviews, and answering questions, and marketing myself to compete with every other hearing, persons that could do the job just as well or better than myself. The second hardest part is answering the phone or making phone calls to make purchases, or call for tech support. The hard part is that you don't know how good the audio quality or what kind of phone will be used, for the person or persons that may be involved in the issue or issues. If the phone call quality is so bad I cannot hear the person, I know a normal hearing person would have trouble hearing them too, what I do sometimes, is simply say "I am sorry, I have to go..." or just hang up and try calling again and hope the call quality, or hope I get someone else that speaks and or sounds better the next call. For my current job at the organization, I wear many hats. I am system admin, security admin, network admin, and help-desk all in one. That makes things tough. I also make a point of communicating via email or instant messaging whenever possible, so that I can understand the issue as easy and as quickly as possible, without being on the phone. It is just easier and faster for me, being deaf. I hope this helps, and good luck to you! TL;DR: I am deaf too. Phones and interviews are the most challenging. Do not give up. There are plenty of things a deaf person in IT can do, just as well as a hearing person. Use written communication, emails, instant messaging, etc to your advantage.
DFTK13 wrote: » Update: I haven't heard anything from the company that said that they would interview me. I'm pretty sure it was my resume that I sent them and the fact that I have no relevant working experience. Anyways, I'm very good friends with one of the heads at my college that I graduated from and I've asked her for help with my resume and I'm meeting her next week to tweak my resume to make it look pretty, also she's really good friends with people from the IT department from what I know and has helped many people get a job. Come Hades or High Water...I'm getting a Job! and Thank you paul78, JoJoCal19, and Mow! I'm also studying my butt off, trying to pursue the CCNA and learn about Linux and Red Hat OSes. I was previously trying to learn MS Server, but honestly I have ZERO interest in learning about that. I just thoroughly enjoy Linux infinitely More! Ever since reading "The Linux Command Line" by William Shotts, I'm hooked! Plus talking with a member here started my interest as well. Anyways, my primary goal is to be a network engineer, but I would really Love to pursue a Linux Sys Admin career and try to learn security concepts as well. Anyways, whatever comes, as I've said...I'll be thankful to the Lord for it and I'll use it as a stepping stone toward where I want to go. I'm really humbled by the vast knowledge and resourcefulness of all the members here and I hope to extend the kind of help to others as I've received on here, from knowledge to encouragement! Thank you!
