PLUS Program: Career Resources & Support
Students in the PLUS Program bring valuable strengths, perspectives, and ways of thinking to the workplace. The Impact Center is here to help you build a career path that works for you.
This page highlights career resources, strategies, and opportunities designed to support your success in exploring careers, gaining experience, and transitioning into the workforce.
Getting Started: Career Planning
If you’re not sure where to begin, start here:
- Attend an Impact Center Resume workshop. Multiple workshop opportunities are available every semester.
- Use career exploration tools like Focus2Career (see Career Resources below)
- Reflect on:
- What environments help you succeed?
- What types of work feel energizing vs. draining?
- What support systems help you perform at your best?
Career Development
Build confidence in workplace skills:
- Use TalentedU (see Career Resources below) to strengthen professional skills that are needed to succeed in internships, jobs, and everyday workplace interactions.
- TalentedU provides:
- Self-paced and repeatable learning
- Reduces guesswork and builds confidence
- Explains workplace etiquette, workplace communication, and conflict management in a low pressure environment
Finding Internships & Jobs
We can help you:
- Identify employers who value neurodiversity
- Find internships that align with your strengths
- Prepare for applications and interviews
Explore opportunities through:
- Handshake (see Career Resources below)
- The Career Support and Opportunities organizations below
- Forage: Explore careers through job simulations (see Career Resources below)
Disclosure & Accommodations
Deciding whether to disclose a disability is a personal choice.
- Understand your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Practice how to request accommodations
- Decide, if, when, and how to disclose
Interview Preparation
Interview preparation makes a big difference.
Use Big Interview (see Career Resources below) for practice:
- Utilize the Big Interview Interview Playbooks
- Go to the Big Interview module
- Login using your Muskingum email
- Click on Learn, Interview Curriculum on the top toolbar
- Select Interview Playbooks
- Choose from the selections presented, which includes interview options for people with disabilities and neurodiversity
- Practice answering questions clearly and confidently
- Prepare for different interview formats
- Learn how to communicate your strengths effectively
Career Support and Opportunities
Job Accommodation Network
A free, national resource that provides guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, JAN helps individuals with disabilities, employers, and service providers understand how to create effective, inclusive work environments.
The Job Accommodation Network offers practical guidance on requesting accommodations, understanding workplace rights, and identifying solutions that support success on the job. It is a valuable resource for students preparing to enter the workforce and navigate how to thrive in a professional setting.
Bender Consulting Services
A consulting and workforce development firm that helps organizations build more inclusive workplaces by recruiting, hiring, and supporting individuals with disabilities. The company works with employers to improve disability inclusion through talent acquisition, workplace training, mentoring, and digital accessibility, while also helping job seekers with disabilities connect to meaningful career opportunities across industries.
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities
A state agency that partners with individuals with disabilities to support employment, independence, and long-term success. Through services such as vocational rehabilitation, career counseling, job placement support, and workplace accommodations, the agency helps individuals prepare for, obtain, and maintain meaningful employment.
In addition to supporting job seekers, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities works with employers to create more inclusive workplaces and assists individuals in accessing disability benefits when needed. As a valuable resource for students, the agency offers programs and services that help individuals transition from education to the workforce with the support and tools needed to succeed.
Workforce Recruitment Program
Is a federal recruitment and referral program that connects college students and recent graduates with disabilities to internship and full-time employment opportunities within federal agencies and private sector organizations. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Defense, the program helps employers identify qualified candidates while supporting students in launching their careers.
Through the Workforce Recruitment Program, students gain access to a nationwide network of employers, resume database visibility, and opportunities that align with their skills and career goals. The program also provides a pathway for students to gain meaningful work experience while connecting with organizations committed to inclusive hiring practices.
Employers and Programs Supporting Neurodiverse Talent
JP Morgan Chase Neurodiversity Program
