1 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:30,000 I'm Viki Chinn, I'm a careers consultant here at LSE careers. 2 00:00:30,500 --> 00:00:34,000 I work with all students but I specialise in working with students with disabilities. 3 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:38,000 I run seminars covering a range of topics, from 4 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:41,000 disclosure to what happens when you're actually in the work place. 5 00:00:41,500 --> 00:00:45,000 I run an annual event called access to employment 6 00:00:45,500 --> 00:00:50,000 which introduces disabled students to graduate recruiters. 7 00:00:50,500 --> 00:00:55,000 There are really, really accessible organisations looking to meet students with disabilities, 8 00:00:55,500 --> 00:01:00,000 and I offer really whatever support the student needs. 9 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:14,000 So, diversity is really important for us at Bloomberg, 10 00:01:14,500 --> 00:01:18,000 because we strongly believe that having a diverse work force 11 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:23,000 and having people from lots of different backgrounds and lots of different gender splits. 12 00:01:23,500 --> 00:01:27,000 Also from a disability perspective it is really important to ensure that we have 13 00:01:27,500 --> 00:01:31,000 a strong, creative and dynamic working environment. 14 00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:37,000 Our Mission is to organise the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. 15 00:01:37,500 --> 00:01:41,000 And so, in order to do that, we really have to understand all of our users 16 00:01:41,500 --> 00:01:45,000 and our users come from all over the world, like literally everyone. 17 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:50,000 So in order for us to do that effectively I think we need to have a work force 18 00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:53,000 that reflects the diversity of our users. 19 00:01:53,500 --> 00:01:57,000 LSE careers department was fundamental in me landing this role. 20 00:01:57,500 --> 00:02:04,000 I was extremely apprehensive about applying, I didn't think I had the confidence or the necessary skill set to do that. 21 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:08,000 I actually met Viki, one of the careers advisors here on a session. 22 00:02:08,500 --> 00:02:13,000 She was absolutely fantastic and really gave me the motivation 23 00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:16,000 and courage to apply for an extremely competitive role. 24 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:20,000 I had a lot of one on one support, a lot of meetings, and 25 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:29,000 I think the best thing was the opportunity to discuss any issues to do with disclosure or anything like that. 26 00:02:29,500 --> 00:02:37,000 Normally sessions are strictly timed but I was given support in that I was able to have as long as I needed 27 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:40,000 and that number of sessions wasn't restricted. 28 00:02:44,500 --> 00:02:48,000 We are a national firm, we have got ten offices across the country. 29 00:02:48,500 --> 00:02:53,000 And it's important that all of our offices do reflect the populations around where we work. 30 00:02:53,500 --> 00:03:00,000 We have disabled clients, we have disabled employees and so really we just try to mirror the population around us. 31 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:04,000 It's about recruiting the best talent regardless of disability. 32 00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:08,000 I think that the support has really built my confidence. If you interviewed me one year ago I would probably think 33 00:03:08,500 --> 00:03:12,000 I would never talk about disability. I thought it was something that everyone had to deal with 34 00:03:12,500 --> 00:03:17,000 and that there was some form of disability for everyone. But for me nowadays, 35 00:03:17,500 --> 00:03:22,000 if I were to go into a recruitment office or if I was to attend a disability event I wouldn't actually be shy about it 36 00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:29,000 because I feel like, what Viki said to me: 'It's just a case of making you and other applicants be on the same playing field.' 37 00:03:29,500 --> 00:03:33,000 Otherwise if you don't speak up for yourself then you're not going to get the support that you may need. 38 00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:41,000 For me, I think the key thing was to get perspective. I found out extremely late that I was dyslexic. 39 00:03:41,500 --> 00:03:47,000 As a result my initial reaction was 'there must be certain things that must be off the table for me.' 40 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:51,000 But I think, having spoken to the advisors, I realised that 41 00:03:51,500 --> 00:03:55,000 there are a lot more dyslexia and disability friendly employers than I thought there would be 42 00:03:55,500 --> 00:03:59,000 and I realised that I shouldn't take anything off the table. 43 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:10,000 Viki got me in touch with an organisation called 'EmployAbility' 44 00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:15,000 who support disabled employees and help provide professional care and support. 45 00:04:15,500 --> 00:04:18,000 For me that's really helped because I wasn't really sure what 46 00:04:18,500 --> 00:04:21,000 resources were available to me as a disabled student 47 00:04:21,500 --> 00:04:25,000 and how much I could really take advantage of it and 48 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:28,000 what I could do in the process and how to manage my work as well as manage 49 00:04:28,500 --> 00:04:31,000 what I would like to do in the future in terms of my job. 50 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:38,000 It just allowed me to be myself and to be able to request any adjustments that I might need. 51 00:04:38,500 --> 00:04:44,000 And to approach disability very much in a problem solving way. 52 00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:50,000 They were really vital in giving me the courage, nuance and know how. 53 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:53,000 And giving me practise one to one interviews and training and CV help as well. 54 00:04:53,500 --> 00:04:58,000 Which I didn't have the first time I applied without disclosing my disability. 55 00:04:58,500 --> 00:05:04,000 And also they provided me with the emotional support necessary to give you the confidence that actually 56 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:07,000 you are more than capable of applying as much as everyone else is. 57 00:05:07,500 --> 00:05:15,000 It's just looking at how we can work round and make the role work with disability and that's really what it's about 58 00:05:15,500 --> 00:05:20,000 and that's what they've done and that's why I think their approach is so good.