Oftentimes being successful depends on developing relationships with other people. A case in point is AFB CareerConnect. CareerConnect offers job seekers with vision loss ways to connect with others who can strategically help them in their career development process. For nearly 13 years, our online mentor program has put thousands of blind or visually impaired students, job seekers, professionals, and friends and family members directly in touch with mentors who have been able to help guide them in their field of interest, choose technologies used on the job, and more.
These CareerConnect mentors, who are professionals with vision loss or blindness, have volunteered their time and expertise to the AFB community by making themselves available to answer questions and provide advice to job seekers with vision loss about employer expectations; job requirements, education, accommodations, and technology; training; salaries; and the future prospects of their field. Because our mentors all have some level of vision impairment or blindness, they are unique sources of firsthand information you won’t get anywhere else.
AFB is deeply grateful to the mentors in this program for all they do to help students and job seekers with vision loss. They are truly the greatest enhancement of all we do. We know there are numbers of you out there who have been helped by one of our mentors and we would love for you to let them know you appreciate what they did for you recently or years ago, large or small.
The only way mentors can know how they're doing is if you tell them. Along with your success, your appreciation is the best thing you have to offer them. Take time to let them know about the impact or difference their help has had on your past or current successes.
Showing appreciation means a lot. Whether it’s simply telling your mentor you appreciate the time they gave you, what they did or the advice they shared we want to encourage you to drop your mentor a note of appreciation at careerconnect@afb.net. We will post the messages for the mentors to see.
There is no better time than the present to say “thank you!” Here are a few ways to help you show your mentor that you genuinely appreciate their support and guidance.
- Write a letter detailing the ways your mentor has helped you develop and succeed.
- Post a tribute to your mentor on CareerConnect.
- Express how much you enjoyed a conversation you learned from.
- Follow-up on advice and suggestions that your mentor provides and then let them know how it goes.
- Let them know about a raise, promotion or other acknowledgment you received.
- Share a story about your mentor on the CareerConnect website.
- Pass on the great experience that you received from your mentor by becoming a CareerConnect mentor to another blind or visually impaired job seeker or student.
- Make a financial contributionto the AFB CareerConnect mentoring program in your mentor’s honor.
