postr/StutterOctober 9, 2018

Stuttering helped me get a job

48 points9 commentsView on Reddit →

Content

Stuttering helped me get a job Hey guys. I began stuttering when I was around 7 and it was quite bad throughout my teenage years. Reading advice on here and a general confidence increase has made it much better however, though it's definitely still around when I get nervous or anxious. Recently I've graduated university and have gone onto secure my first job, which involves a lot of discussions over the phone with people in positions of authority. Initially this was my worst nightmare as a stutter and turned me off from the job. With a bit of persuasion though I decided to go to the interview. The first interview was especially painful, as I blocked/said 'um' almost constantly but still managed to get through it just about by giving decent answers. I was open and honest about my stutter however and admitted that the job would probably be more challenging than normal. The second interview however, went much better. Being open about the stutter caused it to be one of the major topics I spoke about. The interviewer was impressed that I did not let it faze me and remarked that having one in general actually helped me stick out from the crowd. He saw it as enduring a form of hardship that many other applicants simply would not have experienced. I've nearly finished my third week now and talking over the phone a lot has been even more challenging than I thought, but I am already starting to notice improvements. Although as you all know it will never fully go away, throwing myself into the deep end like this has done wonders for my confidence already. Everyone in my workplace has been supportive of my stuttering over the phone so far. I understand that I may be lucky in my situation, but as I was extremely nervous going into a situation like this I think my experience may be useful to others starting new jobs or going to university etc. Overall I want to make the point that sometimes a stutter, as a disability, can actually be an advantage as it shows someone can deal with consistent difficulties and challenges which is hard to prove when looking for jobs/applying for colleges. I also don't feel that any job can penalise you for stuttering as it's essentially persecuting a disability!

Themes

School & WorkEmotional ExperienceIdentity & DisabilitySocial & Relationships

Subthemes

Employment & CareerHope & MotivationIdentity & Self-PerceptionDisclosure & Telling Others

Codes (1)

telephone_video