Navigating Disability in the Job Hunt: Resumes, Interviews, and Disclosure

For disabled students and recent grads, the job hunt isn’t just about finding the right role—it’s about navigating a system that wasn’t built with us in mind. From resume formatting to interview prep to deciding whether (and when) to disclose a disability, the process can feel like walking a tightrope between authenticity and strategy.

Let’s break it down.

Resumes: Showcasing Skills Without Overexplaining

Your resume is your first impression, and it should highlight your strengths—not your struggles. If you’ve held leadership roles in disability advocacy, managed chronic illness while maintaining a strong GPA, or developed creative problem-solving skills through lived experience, those are assets.

Tips:

Use action verbs that emphasize adaptability, resilience, and initiative.
Include volunteer work, advocacy, or accommodations you’ve helped implement—if you’re comfortable.
Avoid medical jargon or overly personal details. Keep it professional, but don’t erase your story.

Interviews: Confidence, Boundaries, and Preparation

Interviews can be tricky terrain. You want to be honest, but you also want to be hired. If your disability affects how you communicate, move, or process information, you may need accommodations—but you don’t have to disclose everything.

Tips:

Practice responses to common questions with a friend, mentor, or service dog by your side.
If you need accommodations (e.g., extra time, remote format), request them after the interview is scheduled but before it happens.
Frame your disability as part of your skill set: “Managing a chronic condition has taught me time management, self-advocacy, and creative problem-solving.”

Disclosure: Your Choice, Your Timing

One of the biggest questions disabled applicants face is: Should I disclose my disability? The answer is deeply personal.

You might choose to disclose:

Before the interview, to request accommodations.
During the interview, if it’s relevant to the role or your story.
After receiving an offer, to discuss workplace adjustments.

Or you might choose not to disclose at all. That’s valid too.

Remember: disclosure is not confession. It’s a strategic decision about how much of your truth to share, and when.

Final Thoughts: You Belong in Every Room

The job hunt is hard enough without the added pressure of navigating ableism, stigma, and inaccessible systems. But you’re not alone—and you’re not less qualified because of your disability. In fact, your lived experience may be the exact perspective a company needs.

So whether you’re rewriting your resume for the fifth time, prepping for a Zoom interview with your service dog curled up beside you, or weighing the pros and cons of disclosure, know this: you belong in every room you enter. And you deserve to be hired not in spite of your disability, but with full recognition of the strength it gives you.

Good luck with your job hunt and Trailblaze on!

— Kaya and the Trailblazing Unleashed Pack