Finding a job isn’t easy, even under the best of circumstances. When you add a brain injury into the equation, you might realize that finding a job is much more difficult than it would otherwise be. You should make a plan if you are going to be out job hunting after an injury of this sort.
One of the first things that you will have to remember is that you might not be able to return to the type of job that you held before the accident. Here are some things you need to remember if you are ready to reenter the job force after your injury:
Evaluate your abilities
Think about what challenges you face when you try to carry out your daily activities. There are many possible changes after a traumatic brain injury. One common challenge has to do with the way you are able to remember things. You might realize that your memory is no longer as accurate as it once was.
Consider which tasks you might have to carry out at work in order to do your job. You now might need to have the instructions in writing so that you can read them over again when you need help remembering. It might mean having the same task shown to you more than once. You might have difficulties with fine motor skills and other movements. Being able to look at a computer screen might even be difficult because of the eye strain and the way it impacts the brain.
List your concerns
You might have some specific concerns in mind about returning to work. Make a list of these so that you can determine how best to address them. If you are worried about getting headaches or being able to concentrate for an entire shift during an eight-hour shift, you may need to start out working part-time and work your way back up to a full-time shift. You should be realistic about your concerns and the possible solutions that you can find for each one.
Seek out help
You may need some help locating companies that are willing to employ workers with traumatic brain injuries. Oftentimes, you will need to show that you can get the job done with reasonable accommodations. Make sure that you are honest when you fill out applications. Let the employer know what kinds of accommodations that you will need. The last thing that you should do is struggle to do the job only to find that you are stressing out so much that you are actually making your injury worse.
