Finding the right job is like putting together a puzzle: You need to find the right place for each piece to see the full picture. As you begin your job search, thinking about your experience and skills may help you find a career path that fits and may help employers recognize how you complement their team of employees.

Whether you are entering the workforce for the first time or re-entering the job market, being able to describe how your skills match an employer's needs can go a long way toward acing an interview and getting the job.

Understanding your full range of skills — both technical and soft — is the first step to getting the job you want.

Understand how you fit: technical skills

Technical skills are the learned abilities that can be defined and measured and speak to your ability to perform a job. Technical skills would include such things as typing, writing, or ability to use a computer or other equipment to perform job responsibilities. These skills indicate that you have a level of experience that matches the job listing and that you won't need extensive training to perform the tasks required.

But what if your skills need a boost? If you're working with a Ticket program Employment Network (EN) or State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency, they may be able to help you find training opportunities, either online or in your community. They can also help you identify gaps in your experience and skills to help you discuss these gaps with potential employers.

You can use CareerOneStop's Skills Assessment tools to consider your experience, identify your skills and discover jobs and careers that match your abilities. Another good source to help you identify your skills and match them to a career is O-NET. With O-Net, you can also view high-growth industries and browse by job-type to find a possible match for your skills. 

Once you know what you can offer an employer, the next step is to determine if you are a good fit for a particular job or company. Employers often list technical skills within a job listing, for example: must be proficient with Microsoft Word, so you can easily find what abilities are required and determine if your skills make you a good match for the position.

Understand how you fit: soft skills

While employers look for employees who are trained to perform the tasks and use programs or tools needed to do a particular job, they also want to make sure that a candidate will fit with the culture of the business. That's why they look for people with a good mix of technical and soft skills.

Soft skills are the personal characteristics that help you get along well with co-workers or increase your productivity. Soft skills include a variety of personality traits, such as problem-solving, determination and persistence, communication, being a team player, and showing a willingness to take on new challenges.

To identify your soft skills, begin by taking an honest look at yourself and how well you get along with others. Ask yourself a few questions:

• Am I flexible?
• Do I easily get along with people who may be different from me?
• Am I a problem solver?
• How well can I lead others from problem to solution?
• Do I listen attentively?
• Do I find it easy to ask for help?
• How well do I communicate?

Your answers can help you decide if your personal characteristics would mesh well with a company's culture. Your Ticket program EN or State VR agency may help you find opportunities to practice and strengthen your soft skills.

Present the best you

Once you've determined that you have both the technical and soft skills for the job that you want, you have to show the employer that you are the right person for the position. You can do this by including specific information about your skills in your resume, highlighting them in your cover letter and talking about specific times when you've used both types of skills in the past. Thoroughly read the job description to make sure your resume includes the skills that are listed in the description. An interview allows you to present the total you — your skills, experience, and fit. Use the interview as the chance to sell yourself with confidence in who you are and what you have to offer. Be prepared to discuss specifically how your skills apply to the job you are seeking.

Together the resume and the interview are your opportunities for an employer to gain a perspective of the best you. And you always want to put the best you forward. When you do, you are well on your way to clinching a job that can lead to financial independence.

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.

Attend a job fair in September to see what employers have to offer and are looking for as they seek to hire new employees.

Career fairs are an excellent way to start or advance your job search. They give you the chance to meet potential employers and learn about different job opportunities. The career fairs listed in this post are just a few of the offerings in September. Visit the organizers' websites for a full list of career fairs to see if there's one near you.

If you're aware of an upcoming job fair that our readers would find helpful, email us at socialmedia@choosework.ssa.gov with the event name, dates and official website.

City Career Fairs (In Person)

City Career Fair's Diversity Employment Day (DED) career fairs provide the chance for local and national employers to meet and interview qualified candidates from diverse communities.

• September 5: Bay Area/Oakland, CA
• September 11: Chicago, IL
• September 20: Milwaukee, WI
• September 27: Los Angeles, CA

Choice Career Fairs (In person)

Choice Career Fairs organizes job and career fairs throughout the United States.

• September 6: Houston, TX
• September 13: Albuquerque, NM
• September 13: New York, NY
• September 18: Las Vegas, NV
• September 27: Charlotte, NC

Visit their site and select "Career Fairs" at the top to view the full calendar.

Coast to Coast Career Fairs (In Person)

Coast to Coast Career Fairs holds numerous in-person career fairs across the country each month. To find a full list of career fairs by region, check out their calendar.

Diversity Career Group (In Person)

Diversity Career group focuses their career and job fairs on connecting employers and jobseekers through sit-down conversations and first-round job interviews.

• September 13: Irvine, CA
• September 13: Phoenix, AZ
• September 20: Portland, OR

To find the full list of their events, visit the website and select "Career Fairs" at the top of the page.  

RecruitMilitary (In Person and Virtual)

RecruitMilitary seeks to tap into the extensive talent pool that veterans represent for employers.

• September 6: Greater Miami Area Veterans Job Fair
• September 6: Houston Veterans Job Fair
• September 13: Nashville Veterans Job Fair

National Career Fairs (In Person)

National Career Fair holds free career fairs in over 130 cities each year. Check out their Career Fair Calendar for a full list of events

• September 5: Washington, DC
• September 6: Philadelphia, PA
• September 11: Atlanta, GA
• September 12: Reno, NV
• September 18: Louis, MO
• September 26: Boston, MA

About Ticket to Work

Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.

Once you've decided what kind of work you want to pursue, the next steps on the path to work are writing or editing your resume and preparing for interviews. Knowing what to feature on your resume or say to a hiring manager or recruiter are fundamental to a successful job search. Today's blog post includes tips to ensure that your resume and interview skills create a positive impression as you pursue your career and financial independence.

Resumes

Before you write your resume, take the time to think about your work experience – whether you've had a paid position or done volunteer work. Reviewing your resume will remind you of the skills and qualifications that may make you a good fit for a new role. Or it can help you think about what types of duties and responsibilities you've enjoyed in the past and what type of work interests you have now. Check out these Choose Work! blog posts to help you write or edit your resume:

• Resumes: The Key to Opening Interview Doors
• Increase Your Chances for a Job Interview
• Addressing Employment Gaps During a Job Search

Are you looking for work for the first time? If you've done volunteer work or had an internship, that kind of experience can be added to your resume. Learn more about gaining experience and developing skills through community service and internships:

• Exploring Community Service as a Path to Employment
• Work and Learn as an Intern

Interviews

It's possible that you'll have several interviews before receiving a job offer.  Being prepared, knowing what kinds of questions you're likely to be asked and what types of questions you should ask are key to impressing an interviewer. These Choose Work! blog posts may help you learn what you can expect during an interview, whether it's on the phone or in person:

• Have an Interview? Do Your Homework!
• Can You Hear Me Now? Mastering the Phone Interview
• Look Your Best: How to Dress for a Job Interview
• Top 3 Questions You Can Expect during a Job Interview
• Top Questions You Can Expect during a Job Interview – Part 2
• It’s Your Turn: Questions to Ask During a Job Interview
• The Job Interview: It’s More than What You Say

Job applications and disability

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are not allowed to discriminate against a job applicant due to a disability or ask specific questions about your disability during the application or interview process. But this may leave you with questions about talking to a potential employer or new manager about your disability or requesting accommodations. While the decision to disclose your disability is always yours, you can find advice on the Choose Work! blog to help you make the choice that’s right for you.

• Talking about Disability Disclosure
• How to Request Accommodations
• Making Interviews Accessible for You

Working with Ticket to Work

Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI/SSI). Through this free and voluntary program, people who are eligible can work with Ticket program service providers, like Employment Networks (EN) and State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies to receive supports and services as they pursue work. Many service providers offer help with writing and editing resumes and job interview preparation.

And many ENs have Benefits Counselors on staff who are trained to review all of the state and federal benefits you receive and discuss with you the effect work will have on those benefits. Benefits Counselors can also introduce you to Social Security Work Incentives, which may make it easier for you to transition to work while you continue to receive healthcare and, in some cases, cash payments. 

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.

Attend a job fair in October to see what employers have to offer and are looking for as they seek to hire new employees.

Career fairs are an excellent way to start or advance your job search. They give you the chance to meet potential employers and learn about different job opportunities. The career fairs listed in this post are just a few of the offerings in October. Visit the organizers’ websites for a full list of career fairs to see if there's one near you.

If you're aware of an upcoming job fair that our readers would find helpful, email us at socialmedia@choosework.ssa.gov with the event name, dates and official website.

City Career Fairs (In Person)

City Career Fair's Diversity Employment Day (DED) career fairs provide the chance for local and national employers to meet and interview qualified candidates from diverse communities.

• October 10: Phoenix, AZ
• October 18: San Diego, CA
• October 24: West Valley, CA

Employment Options (Virtual)

Employment Options is an Employment Network (EN) with Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) program that specializes in work-from-home job opportunities and placement. Their upcoming virtual career fair is free and open to the public and will feature at least 9 employers who offer both work-from-home and onsite jobs.

• October 11: Online Job Fair

Choice Career Fairs (In person)

Choice Career Fairs organizes job and career fairs throughout the United States. Visit their website and select Career Fairs to see the full calendar of career fairs.

• October 9: Lauderdale, FL
• October 10: Baltimore, MD
• October 17: Seattle, WA
• October 25: Plano, TX
• October 25: Minneapolis, MN
• October 31: Atlanta, GA

Coast to Coast Career Fairs (In Person)

Coast to Coast Career Fairs holds numerous in-person career fairs across the country each month. To find a full list of career fairs by region, check out their calendar.

Diversity Career Group (In Person)

Diversity Career group focuses their career and job fairs on connecting employers and jobseekers through sit-down conversations and even first-round job interviews. To find the full list of their events, visit the website and select "Career Fairs" at the top of the page.  

RecruitMilitary (In Person and Virtual)

RecruitMilitary seeks to tap into the extensive talent pool that veterans represent for employers. Their full schedule of career fairs, both virtual and in person, is available on their website.

• October 3: National Virtual Franchise Expo
• October 4: Greater San Francisco Veterans Job Fair
• October 11: Chicago Veterans Job Fair
• October 16: Central Region Virtual Career Fair for Veterans

National Career Fairs (In Person)

National Career Fair holds free career fairs in over 130 cities each year. Check out their full calendar.

• October 2: Cleveland, OH
• October 3: Overland Park, KS
• October 4: Las Vegas, NV
• October 18: Chicago, IL
• October 30: New York, NY

Ka Lima O Maui (In-Person)

Ka Lima O Maui is a Ticket to Work EN providing job training and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities in Hawaii. This event is open to the public.

• October 18: Wailuku, HI

About Ticket to Work

Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.

Have you been thinking about going to work and wondering how your disability might affect your commute or your access to a workstation or other equipment? According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), working from home or telecommuting may be a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Finding a position that allows you to work from home may help you expand your employment options as you move toward financial independence.

Work from home as a reasonable accommodation

As the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) explains, reasonable accommodations are any changes to a job or workplace that enable an applicant to participate in the application process or an employee to perform essential job functions. Work from home can be considered a reasonable accommodation if it removes any of the following barriers to employment: 

• Disability-related issues with commuting to work
• Limited or no accessible parking
• Limited worksite/workplace accessibility
• Environmental issues that may increase a symptom of a disability, including exposure to chemicals, temperature sensitivity, and problematic lighting
• Lack of facilities or privacy to manage personal and medical needs
• Rigid work schedule
• Exposure to viruses and bacteria
• Workplace distractions affecting ability to concentrate

If you find any of these issues a barrier to work, then telework may be the opportunity you need to reach your work goals.

Types of work-from-home careers

If you want to work from home, you may want to consider some of these career options:

• Transcription involves listening to audio files and typing what is said. This may require training, especially for transcribing audio files in specific industries, like the medical field.
• Writing, editing and proofreading requires the ability to research and write content as well as review content for spelling, grammar and factual information.
• Tutoring may be an option if you've taught before. You can connect with students online to help them improve their grades or prepare for an upcoming test, like college admission tests.
• Customer service and support jobs are good options for people who have excellent communication skills and experience. You may need to be computer literate and willing to multitask as you help customers resolve issues.
• Self-employment is yet another option. If you have a product that you make for sale or you offer services, like accounting, website design or other consulting services, working for yourself can also mean working at home.

Requesting work from home as an accommodation

If you are working and have found that the worksite includes one or more barriers to your ability to perform your job, you may consider talking with your supervisor, disclosing your disability and requesting an accommodation, like working from home.

Although your employer may be required to provide a reasonable accommodation to help you meet your responsibilities, they aren't required to offer or provide the exact accommodation you request as long as an effective accommodation is offered. In particular, employers are not required to offer a telework option, and you'll need to discuss with your employer whether your tasks can be handled remotely.

Questions you may consider discussing with your employer about the potential option of working from home include:

• How frequently will I need to work from home? Are you requesting that you be able to work from home every day or just a few days a week due to transportation needs or having to go to doctors' appointments?
• How will I be supervised and how will my performance be measured? Make sure you know how often you have to check in with your supervisor and have a clear understanding of your role and responsibilities.
• Does my job require in-person interactions? There may be some jobs that require in-person interaction with customers, clients and supervisors. If your job doesn't include essential duties that require you to be there in-person, you can talk with your supervisor about alternative ways of communicating and interacting with the team, such as conference calls, Skype, email, etc.

Resources

Learn more about working from home and telework as a reasonable accommodation:

• JAN: Telework
• EEOC: Work At Home/Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation
• Make Working from Home Work for You
• Ticket Talk: Things to Know About Work-From-Home Job Opportunities

WISE up on working from home

If you're interested in learning more about working from home as a reasonable accommodation, join us for the next WISE webinar on September 25, 3 – 4:30 p.m. ET, My Employment Options will join us to discuss working from home as a path to reaching career goals. We'll also discuss self-employment information and share how Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program may help you pursue career goals. Register now at choosework.ssa.gov/wise.

Ticket to Work

Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work.
The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward
financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.

Once you have an idea for a small business, you may wonder, what's the next step?

If you're eligible for Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program, a Ticket program service provider may be able to help you get started! We talked with Colleen Moynihan at the New England Business Associates (NEBA), and learned about the first steps of starting a business. As the program director for the Business Center for Self-Employment at NEBA, Colleen is responsible for program development, managing NEBA's Ticket program and working with people who are eligible for the Ticket program and interested in pursuing self-employment.

Colleen has worked with a variety of entrepreneurs who have pursued self-employment in independent contracting for research, social media management, lawn maintenance and landscaping, writing, inventors whose patented ideas are used in a variety of industries, and more. Today, we share some of Colleen's guidance about turning your idea into a business.

Once someone has a business idea, what's the first thing they should do?

"When I work with someone, the first thing I like to discuss is what their hopes and dreams are for their business idea. And then I can advise them of the direction they can go," Colleen says.  "The first question I typically ask them is 'Why are you doing a business plan?' and most of them will say that they were told that it was a good idea. My goal is to help them think bigger and broader with what they want to do and what they'd like their business to achieve."

What's the second thing that someone should do
before opening a business?

Once you establish the bigger and broader goal of your business, you may be ready to start your business plan.

"We use the SCORE business plan outline," Colleen says, "because that's the standard for the business world and it comes from the Small Business Administration."

Colleen and other employees at NEBA help people working toward self-employment create the business plan, too. 

"The first thing I need to know is: Is this a viable business idea?" Colleen said.

She says that they ask Ticketholders to tell them about their business — how it got started and where they plan for it to go — to help determine if the business is both viable and feasible.

"They have to demonstrate in our first 3 sessions that they can explain what their business is. We try to meld their idea of a service or a product and start looking at what they have to do to have that idea or service become a business."

After this, Colleen says that they spend some time on looking at the financials. "We use a very basic financials spreadsheet, especially since for most people we work with, this is the first time they're trying to start a business," she said. "We usually start with talking about financials in parallel with the business narrative because that's where the real story is and where we can discuss the costs. So, the first 2 things that any business should think about are how much money you want to make – or have to make – and what your operating costs are."

What role can a mentor play for someone who's starting their own business?

"When someone writes a business plan, it's sort of like a toolkit. Now, you may remember when you were younger and your father or someone gave you your first hammer or your first screwdriver. He had to show you how to use it properly. Someone has to show you how to use [the] tools in your business plan toolkit", says Colleen. This, she agrees, is where a mentor steps in. "NEBA makes the commitment to stay with that person for up to 3 years to help guide them. But also, wherever we can, we connect them with a SCORE mentor – because that's what SCORE is there for. They're not people who assist in writing a plan as much as assist with implementing the plan and guiding a person through the development of the business.

"Studies have shown that an individual starting a business with a mentor has an 80% success rate, whereas a person who doesn't have a mentor only has a 30% success rate."

Colleen also recognizes the benefit of having someone who's going through the same experiences to talk with.

"I try to connect my [Ticket to Work clients] if I think they'll offer good peer support to each other. I was talking with someone who does a gourmet service and she had run into some problems with social media. I have another person who's a whiz-kid on social media, so I connected those two to help the first person to get her users and social media numbers. Many times they're not selling the same thing, but they have the same problems and can help each other."

WISE up on self-employment supports

If you're interested in learning more about how the Ticket program may help you pursue your goal of opening your own business, our next Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE) webinar,  can help!

Colleen will join us as one of our presenters and will discuss how ENs, like NEBA, support people eligible for the Ticket program pursue self-employment. Register now to learn about working with a Ticket program service provider and Social Security Work Incentives that may help you during the transition to opening your business and earning income.

We'll also talk about work-from-home job opportunities. Join us to learn about telework as a reasonable accommodation, finding work-from-home jobs, and supports available as you make the transition to working and earning income!

Learn more about self-employment

• Self-Employment: Is it Right for You?
• You Asked, We Answer! Achieving Your Self-Employment Goals
• Ticket Talk: Ticket to Work's Top Reasons to Consider Self-Employment
• Want to Start a Business? Find a Mentor!

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month, so we're sharing some tips about what you can do in advance to be prepared. While it's important to have a plan ready if you are at home during an emergency, it's also important to think about what you would do if one happens while you're at work. The following tips are a good way to get your workplace emergency plan started. Also, check out the resources at the end of this post to help you learn more about how to stay safe during an emergency.

Be informed

Knowing the type of emergencies you may experience and what you might expect can give you important information about when to prepare and what resources you might need. For example, you may live in a region prone to hurricanes or one that experiences wild fires or major snowstorms.

Some emergencies, like hurricanes or tornadoes, may require evacuation. Knowing the best routes to safety, both from home and from work, can help you get to a safe place faster. Others, like snowstorms may require you to stay in place and make sure you have adequate supplies of food or medicine.

At work, familiarize yourself with safety protocol and emergency exits so that you know where to go and what to do if something, like a fire, happens in the building. If you've disclosed your disability to your employer, you may want to discuss any arrangements you may need to have in place, such as a plan for evacuation if you can't use the stairs. Or, if you're blind or have low vision, your employer may help you identify exit routes.

Consider your needs

In addition to electricity, food and water, consider what resources you might need and use on a regular basis, including prescription and non-prescription medications or electronic medical devices. For example, if you use a hearing aid, make sure you have extra batteries on hand. Creating an emergency kit may help you remain calm and take care of your needs during an emergency.

If your disability affects your ability to communicate, prepare for at least one alternative option, like a handheld dry erase board or a pad of paper and a pen, to make sure you can explain your needs to emergency personnel or anyone else you might encounter during an emergency. Other disability-related items for your kit may include a spare set of eyeglasses or an extra cane or crutches. If you use a power wheelchair, consider a lightweight battery charger or a manual wheelchair if you're able to use one. If you keep a set of backup household batteries for flashlights or other small electronic devices, at work, make sure you have a fresh supply. And be sure to check the charge on your cellphone or other handheld device regularly.

If you take a prescription medicine on a regular basis, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about what you should do in the event of an emergency. You'll want to know how to get your prescriptions if an evacuation takes place at work.

Make copies

It's a good idea to keep your health insurance information with you, but you may find yourself in an emergency situation without it. Make copies of this information for a trusted relative or friend to access if you don't have the originals during an emergency. This may help you receive medical care and medications more quickly.

More tips for preparing

Being prepared is a year-round responsibility, but knowing that you have your needs taken care of can give you some peace of mind and keep your health in check in the event of an emergency. To be prepared and help yourself stay safe during an emergency at work, check out the following resources and share them with your employer:

• Office of Disability Employment Policy: Emergency Preparedness
• Everyone Must Be Prepared for Emergencies
• Ready.gov
• Diabetes Disaster Plan

Ticket to Work

Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.

Learn more

To learn more about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.

It's August! Time to start thinking about transitioning back to school, starting college or training, or entering the workforce. Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program and Work Incentives may help you plan the next stage of your life.

The Ticket program and Social Security Work Incentives are designed to help you transition to work while continuing to receive Medicare or Medicaid and, in some cases, cash payments. Certain Work Incentives can also help if you are planning to attend college or pursue additional training. Today we'll take a look at options that may be particularly useful for young adults as they transition from high school to college or pursue their work goals.

Ticket to Work Program

First, let's talk about the Ticket program. This program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. The program is free and voluntary.

Employment supports

By participating in the Ticket program, you'll have access to a wide variety of free services provided to you by service providers. These service providers can become your "Employment Team," ready to support you on your journey to financial independence.

Connect with a service provider to find help identifying your work goals, discover training and employment opportunities and more. They can also help you find resources to plan for your financial future and even help you write your resume or prepare for an upcoming job interview.

Benefits counseling

Whether you're transitioning directly to the workforce or attending college after high school, you may want to consult with a Benefits Counselor. Many Employment Networks (EN) have certified Benefits Counselors on staff, or you can connect with your local Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA) project to talk with a Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC).

WIPA projects work with people who:

• Are age 14 – 25, not necessarily actively pursuing work
• Are working
• Have a job offer pending
• Are actively interviewing for jobs
  • Have had an interview in the past 30 days or have an interview scheduled in the next 2 weeks
• Are veterans

A Benefits Counselor or CWIC can review your benefits with you and help you better understand how working and earning income will affect all of the benefits you receive (including Social Security) and introduce you to Work Incentives, which may help you as you transition to work.

Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE)

If you're going to college or job training after high school, you may find that you'd like to start working so that you can gain work experience and earn some money to help you pay for school or training costs. If you're under age 22, receive SSI, and regularly attend school or job training, a Work Incentive called Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) may help.

With the SEIE, Social Security will deduct part of your earnings from a job from your countable income to help you keep part or all of your cash payment.

You can find more details about SEIE in our blog post, "Making the Grade at School and Work." Or, you can talk with a Benefits Counselor or CWIC to learn more about SEIE, and how to accurately report your work and wages to Social Security.

Learn more

You can learn more about Work Incentives in Social Security's Red Book and on the Choose Work! Blog's Work Incentives Wednesdays series. Or attend a free, monthly Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE) webinar to learn about the Ticket to Work and a variety of employment topics.

To find a Ticket program service provider, including a Benefits Counselor or CWIC, you can call the Ticket to Work Help line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Find Help tool.

Do you work with or provide services to people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI)? If so, knowing more about Social Security's Ticket to Work (Ticket) program may enable you to help these people as they think about and pursue their work goals.

Each month, we receive questions from organizations and people who provide services to people with disabilities about work and benefits, Ticket program supports and services and how someone who's interested in working can get started. Today, we're discussing how you can use the Choose Work website to learn more about the Ticket program and help others find the support they're looking for.

What is Ticket to Work?

The Ticket program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work. Through this free and voluntary program, people who are eligible can work with Ticket program service providers, like State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies or Employment Networks (EN), to receive supports and services they need to pursue work and financial independence.

Ticket program service providers offer a variety of supports and services to help jobseekers with disabilities, ranging from resume writing and interview prep to accommodation requests (during the interview and/or on the job) and continued support once someone has started working. Many service providers also offer benefits counseling through certified Benefits Counselors, who can help someone better understand how earning an income will affect their benefits and discover Work Incentives that may help them on the path to financial independence.

Finding information

The Choose Work website can help you find information and resources that can help jobseekers with disabilities as they look for work and transition to the workplace.

Check out and share:

• Choose Work! blog: Weekly blog posts share Social Security and Ticket program updates, job search advice, and financial resources. Subscribe now to receive email updates about new posts!
• Ticket to Work success stories: Accounts of how real people have used the Ticket program and Work Incentives to find their path to work.
• WISE webinars: Our monthly Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE) webinars are free, online events. Guests present information about the Ticket program and specific employment topics, like reasonable accommodations, federal employment and self-employment. Can't attend during our live event? Recent WISE webinars are also available to watch at your convenience by checking out our WISE archives. Subscribe to receive WISE details directly to your inbox so you can learn about upcoming topics and share registration details with the people you work with.
• Choose Work Library: Frequently asked questions (FAQs), fact sheets and other resources can help you share information about the Ticket program and Social Security rules to help an eligible jobseeker get started. Send your eligible clients and those you serve to the website or print a few copies of our FAQs to have on hand in your office to share.
• Ticket to Work Tutorials: Our self-paced learning modules can help eligible beneficiaries who are thinking about work, searching for a Ticket program service provider, transitioning to the workplace or making progress toward financial independence.

Do you have an employment section on your website? Linking to the Ticket program's Choose Work website can help people who are eligible for the Ticket program access information they need to start making progress toward their work goals.

Getting started

If you know an eligible person who'd be interested in the Ticket program, you can tell them about 2 ways they can get started.

1. The Ticket to Work Help Line: Ticket program representatives can help callers find answers to their questions about working and their benefits — or even send them a list of service providers that offer the supports and services they need to find work. The Ticket to Work Help Line is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. To connect with a representative, call 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY).
2. The Find Help tool: If a beneficiary is ready to start working with a Ticket program service provider, the Find Help tool can help them find the right one. The Direct Search feature allows users to find service providers by type of provider, location and even services offered. Or the Guided Search feature asks the user a series of questions to help determine what kind of service provider may fit the user's needs best.

Is your organization looking to hire? Do you know of businesses that have inclusive hiring policies? Use the Find Help tool to connect with Ticket program service providers in your community. They can help you find qualified local jobseekers with disabilities who are ready and looking for work. Jobseekers who are participating in the Ticket program may continue to receive supports and services from their Ticket program service provider after they are hired.

Staying connected

Find us on social media! By following us on Facebook and Twitter, you can find more information and resources to share with the people you serve. We post updates about the Ticket program and other Social Security news, and we help our followers discover new resources that may help them find work, request job accommodations, and succeed on the path to financial independence. Share our posts with your followers to help them find the information they're looking for!

• Like us on Facebook: @Choose Work!
• Follow us on Twitter: @ChooseWorkSSA
• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

As you start thinking about work, it’s obviously important to set goals, whether you know what your dream job is, which skills you want to learn or which tasks you'd like to do. But just as important when you're looking for work, you should also think about the process over time. You may be working for many years, and the job you get today may not be the job you have later in your career. It may be helpful to look at what we're calling the ABCs of career progress: A job, a Better job, and Career development.

A Job

Finding "A" job doesn’t mean going for any job that's available. As you look for "A" job, think about the skills and experience you need to reach your ultimate goal and jobs that include tasks and assignments that you enjoy, and skills that you'd like to learn.

For example, if you'd someday like to be the general manager of a store, you might want to begin by finding work as a cashier in a store or restaurant, where you would handle money and interact with customers. These skills will help you build your resume to include the capabilities that are required of a store manager.

Think of this job as an opportunity to decide if this industry is a good match for you. You may change your end goal based on whether you like the responsibilities and tasks required. Or you may find that this position suits you well and helps you reach your financial goals.

A Better Job

If you decide you want to look for a different job, the experience you gained from your "A" job may help you qualify for a slightly higher job opening, either within the same company or elsewhere. A "Better" job should help you continue to practice the skills that you learned in your first position, but add additional skills and experience to your resume.

Returning to the cashier example, you may hear about other positions, like shift manager, as they become available in the same store. However, you can also watch for help wanted signs and job listings for other businesses if you'd like to explore another workplace.

By finding a "Better" job, you may use the skills that you learned in your "A" job — like handling money and talking with customers — and build on them too. As a shift manager, you may be required to not only talk with customers, but also help them solve a complicated problem or complaint. And instead of being responsible for one cash register, you may need to input daily sales into a computer system and make sure money is deposited in the right places at the end of the day.

You'd also add new skills and experience, such as managing and scheduling employees. And because it's likely that you would work more closely with the general manager, you would be able to observe their behavior and ask questions to learn more about the position.

Career Development

Just as with the transition from your "A" job to your "Better" job, the experience you build in your better job may help you qualify for even higher positions. If you have set a goal of getting a high-level position in a company, you may find that you work in several "Better" jobs before you reach your dream job. Throughout the journey, you may also find that one of these "A" or "Better" jobs is actually the best fit for your goals, skills and needs.

Learning, practicing and strengthening your skills is how you develop a career and continue to find better jobs until you reach your ultimate goal. 

As you gain more experience, be sure to add new projects, responsibilities and skills to your resume to keep it current so you can be ready to apply for promotions and new jobs as opportunities come up.

On the Path with Ticket to Work

If you're age 18 through 64 and receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI/SSDI), Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) program may be able to help you reach your career goals. This free and voluntary program connects people with disabilities with the employment supports and service you need to find work and earn your way to financial independence.

A Ticket program service provider, like an Employment Network (EN) or State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency, can help you establish and reach your goals through services like career coaching, job placement, interview preparation, and on-the-job support. As you start working and developing your career, a service provider may also help you find answers to your questions about your benefits as you start working and earning income.

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket program, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.