Work-Related Timeout…Bridging The Gap

Welcome! As always, thank you so much for pausing for a moment and visiting the MEO Blog, written by a previous client and current Employment Counselor. These blogs are written for others with (dis)abilities and their circle of support. Hopefully, sharing my journey through the Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style), is encouragement or a beacon of light to those who need it to resume a place back into a workspace that makes space for their abilities, while managing a (dis)ability.

From the time I was diagnosed with a (dis)ability and unable to work, to the time I walked through the virtual doors of MEO…more time than I imagined had passed…almost 4 years. Time stands still for no one. It does not care what you’re doing, how you’re doing…if you need more of it…or have too much of it on your hands. Sometimes it seems to move fast, other times not so much. But what is for sure is that time keeps its pace and its rhythm, from day-to-day, year-to-year, and generation-to-generation.

What became obvious, very quickly, on my journey navigating back into the workspace was that time…in the technology space…seemed to have left me behind. What a difference ~4 years of being out of the loop made. My resumé was very impressive, pre-(dis)ability, but I had no receipts post-(dis)ability. I knew that employers would ask the question that I was asking myself, at the time…could I still do what I did before the passing of time that created a gap in employment.

Some things are obvious; there’s no question that we can no longer do them or have to do them a different way. There are other things that we may simply be out of practice and they may come back fairly quickly with practice or a refresher course. And yet still in other cases, time has taken its course and what we did know about a thing is outdated or no longer relevant. When you spend time building a career, your confidence builds along with it. While dwelling in the gap in employment, it can eat away at the confidence that was built when you were working in your area of expertise.

Time in work-related timeout varies in its length for each of us. The gap can be short for some and expand over years for others. During this time, the world is still moving all around us…not in a circle…but at a quick pace, forward. Because I had worked my last job, pre-(dis)ability for so long, it had been a long time since I had interviewed. It compounded my work-related timeout with the length of time since I’d had to job search, update a resumé, or interview, I truly was like someone standing in the median of a super busy interstate looking for the right path and timing to crossover from where I was to where I wanted to be…back in the workforce. 

Having a (dis)ability can affect your livelihood in the worst way. A pathway back to work, is a pathway back to Living, not just Existing. I encourage you not to give up on trying, until you know, without a doubt, that you cannot. Finances are important and make a difference in our quality of life, but it’s the boost of self-confidence and self-concept that continues to open doors. Standing in the middle of a busy interstate can become overwhelming and one might feel like they won’t ever get a break in the rhythm or timing to cross over from where they are to where they want to be. But, at some point, there it is…a break in the busy traffic of life. It can happen naturally by looking for the breaks and being ready, or those driving on the highway can provide an assist, by slowing down long enough to create an opportunity for us to cross over to the other side back into the working world.

Time is our life…a moment in time will never repeat itself and so we have to make the best of the time that we have. Everything changes, with time. People, places nor things stay the same. So, the gap in employment requires some addressing. My MEO Employment Specialist was my guiding light regarding how to handle the messaging for the gap on my resumé and in an interview. Because I had been in a work-related timeout, I had become green on all things get a job related.  Being out of the game for ~4 years meant that if I wanted to become relevant in the workspace again, I had to be willing to make whatever adjustments needed to navigate the buzzing traffic of the working world, in order to find and work a job that allowed me to manage my disability at the same time. The only way we can maintain employment is to take good care of ourselves to the very best of our ability.

My MEO Employment Specialist and Certified Benefits Specialist acted as my crossing guards back into the workspace. It’s not easy bridging a gap or navigating quick-paced traffic alone. They didn’t carry me across, but they equipped me with the tools and information I needed to make it across. I am forever grateful for the impact of the Ticket-to-Work Program (MEO Style) on my life. Remember, we cannot find what we stop searching for…if searching for a job becomes frustrating…give yourself a break, but keep searching through the frustration.

Thank you, again, for visiting the MEO Blog! Please take very good care of yourselves in this time of extreme heat and stormy weather. Until next time…keep looking up…

 **If this is your first visit to our blog site, please feel free to visit previous blogs. If you’re interested in more information regarding applying for the MEO Ticket to Work Program…click here: https://myemploymentoptions.com/apply-now/