How to develop your career with deaf mentoring

During my early entrepreneur days, I relied on a mentor to help me clarify my business vision and get me super focused on achieving my goals in providing high quality communication support to other deaf people. We had monthly meetings during which he guided me toward clarification using his business experience.

My current mentor is Alisdair Inglis. Alasdair keeps my business focus razor-sharp. I have a tendency to want to take on too many things, which results in distracting me from my true strength and expertise – remote real time captioning.

Everyone, deaf and hearing people, can benefit from the guidance of a mentor.

Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are a greatly underutilised source of future contributions to the business world. If given a chance and with the support of someone knowledgeable in removing the barriers to entry, deaf people can make a tremendously positive impact.

A quality study of deaf graduates of Rochester Institute of Technology in New York found that those working in predominantly hearing settings achieved greater career success when paired with a mentor.

When you are deaf, like me, people often underestimate your potential. However, when you have someone helping you in your pursuit of professional greatness the possibilities are endless.

To gain a competitive edge in business, many employees and entrepreneurs have turned to mentors for guidance and advice.

A mentor can be your greatest ally in your journey toward professional development and ultimate success.

I have had a few mentors in my life that provided me with a great deal of support. The best mentors have an invested interest in your success and share their wisdom and knowledge freely.

When carefully selected, a mentor can have a profoundly positive impact on your career development and future business aspirations.

A mentor is also referred to as a role-model, a person experienced in personal and/or professional development and dedicated to helping you achieve your career goals.

Like a teacher or counsellor, a mentor encourages you and believes in your skills. They teach you what you need in order to succeed in your job while developing your confidence and ability to grow in your career and expand your horizons of possibility. A professional mentor assists you to:

• Discover which profession is best suited to your specific interests and skills.
• Acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for a satisfactory career and professional advancement.
• Set and achieve goals as well as receive feedback on your progress.
• Establish yourself and build business relationships.
• Socialise in the company culture.
• Increase your salary and get promoted.

Many factors contribute to the low success rate of people with disabilities, like being deaf or hard of hearing. Some deaf people are not accepted by their peers and experience isolation at work, thus limiting their access to company information and possible career progression.

The lack of encouragement and low expectation from employers contribute to hard of hearing people not fulfilling their potential. All of these factors contribute to the lack of self-determination and employment preparation, often resulting in mediocre career choices.

A mentor can help you break through the barriers to achieving career success. They do this by:

• Providing guidance and support.
• Offering encouragement and advice.
• Sharing their life experiences.
• Helping you learn from their mistakes.
• Teaching you the ins and outs of effective communication.
• Connecting you with the services in your area that provide the tools and technology needed to excel in a hearing work environment.
• Advising on how to work with hearing people unaccustomed to working with deaf or hard of hearing colleagues.
• Providing networking opportunities with both hearing and deaf peers.

If you’re a graduate or young professional looking for career opportunities, a mentor can assist with:

• Job searching.
• Writing your CV.
• Writing a cover letter and applying for jobs.
• Preparing for the job interview and providing interview training.
• Presentation skills.
• Working in groups.
• Making your voice heard.
• Applying to Access to Work Deaf Services for support.
• Confidence building.

Before searching for a mentor, write down what you expect from the relationship and the specific outcome and goals you want to achieve.

If you already have a job, try and ask people in your organisation if they’d like to mentor you. Look for the people actively demonstrating their knowledge and skills and ask if they would be open to teaching you.

Before asking, prepare for the discussion. Know what you want to learn, why you want to learn it and why you chose this particular individual. Then it’s only a matter of planning a schedule that is convenient for both of you.

121 Captions has experienced and certified career consultants that can help you to discover the career path you are meant to follow. We have a passion for what we do and can help you build your confidence and improve your networking skills.

Remploy helps deaf students overcome the challenges of looking for work by providing online advisors to assist with any employment concerns and questions you might have.

Deaf Lawyers UK offer a mentoring scheme to deaf people who are training to be lawyers and solicitors.

Action on Hearing Loss provides you with information on services in the UK that offer deaf mentoring opportunities, support and guidance.

The deaf mentoring relationship must be based on mutual trust and respect. Look for these 5 qualities when searching for a mentor who is skilled at working with deaf people in business:

1. Patience and understanding, preferably someone who has previously mentored deaf people and know how to communicate with them.
2. Empathy and concern for others, always ready with a word of encouragement.
3. Appropriate job behaviours and social skills.
4. Experience in the particular field you’re hoping to develop a career in.
5. Networking abilities and communication strategies you can learn from.

Being mentored takes consistent effort and dedication. Expect to work hard and know that success will not be instant; it is, rather, a steady climb toward personal and professional growth.

Information, guidance and emotional support are essential characteristics all mentors must possess. A mentor can provide you with a significant advantage if you want to transition from your current job into a career you’ve been dreaming about.

Mentoring relationships, for deaf people in particular, can be highly beneficial to your career development. The right mentor can help you with socialisation into the company culture, leadership development, salary increases and increased job satisfaction.

If you would like to offer deaf mentoring opportunities, please introduce yourself in the comment section below.