OVR

Posted on September 14, 2018

This summer I decided to leave my job.  It became clear to me that there was no opportunity for advancement given the specialty of all the available position.  After I left my job I decided to use part of the summer to rest and relax.  During that time I realized that I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do next.  Fortunately someone from Penn State Hershey recommended that I contact the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or OVR, to help me find a job.

I set up a meeting with Alexandra at OVR with the expectation that she would provide me with a list of jobs that were available in the area.  In actuality the meeting was the first of several to allow Alexandra to learn about my strengths and weaknesses along with my special requirements.  She would then use that information to try and match me with a job that I can excel at and enjoy, in addition to providing job coaching to ensure my success.

During our first meeting Alexandra and I discussed various skills that I’ve acquired and cultivated such as my ability to take precise measurements, organize materials, and work both with people or alone.  She also reviewed the resume that I created and gave suggestions on what I should include or exclude that businesses look for.  At the end of the meeting she provided me with referrals for additional testing and job coaching.

Currently I’m just starting the job search process with Alexandra’s help.  Over the next few weeks I will participate in testing to determine what I do best and what types of things I enjoy most.  I was advised that I can still search for a job with any business that I think I would like and OVR would still provide their services to help me obtain and keep the job.  For now I’m waiting to take a skills assessment test and a psychological profile to better understand what I can do and what help or requirements I need.

I anticipate that the skills assignment testing and psychological profile will highlight aspects of myself that I’m not aware of.  Regardless they will undoubtedly help to narrow down the potential jobs and careers that I can consider pursuing.  I also believe that the job that I find will be one that I can enjoy for the foreseeable future.  OVR has certainly been an invaluable resource for me so far and I’m glad that it’s available.  If you feel the need to re-evaluate your vocational situation I highly recommend that you contact OVR for help.