According to the NHS, approximately 10% of the British population has dyslexia to some extent, making it one of the most common learning difficulties. Yet students and graduates with dyslexia often worry about informing potential employers of their condition. According to TargetJobs, you are not obliged to disclose dyslexia, especially if you feel it won’t affect your ability to do the job. ‘Disclosure is a personal choice and you have to decide what feels right for you.’ The equal opportunities section of application forms usually asks about ‘a long-term condition that affects you on a day-to-day basis’. If you’re applying for a job where your dyslexia won’t affect your ability to do the tasks every day, you might not feel that it is relevant.
I came across a really good blog post on Graduate Fog: Dyslexic Graduates: 6 job hunting tips you need to know about. The writer acknowledges that “Being a dyslexic graduate can make a tough job market feel even tougher. Graduate applications, CVs, covering letters, assessment days and interviews are all more stressful if words swim on the page in front of you and reading, writing and spelling aren’t your strong suit.” But adds that “in some cases, having dyslexia can actually be an asset when job hunting – if you handle the situation correctly.”
The author then gives lots of useful advice on playing to your strengths in the job hunting process:
- Be proud: Use experiences of managing dyslexia to demonstrate persistence
- Help yourself: Keep exploring tools that can help you, talk to the Disability Advice Team at Bath for more information.
- Present your disability as a positive: Don’t apologise, talk about your dyslexia with confidence
- Know your rights: check out this super guide which has been produced by the Equality & Human Rights Commission.
- Play to your strengths: For example lots of dyslexics are creative, visual thinkers which are invaluable skills in the workplace.
Scott Bryan shares his personal experience of job hunting with dyslexia and offers some helpful solutions. You may also want to explore the advice and support available through the following organisations:
Adult Dyslexia Association
British Dyslexia Association
Dyslexia Action
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