VIDBE-Q Volume 65 Issue 2
76
Job search interventions are meant to help people learn how to find jobs on
their own, and many such interventions have been implemented. According to a
meta-analysis of 47 experimental and quasi-experimental studies, job search
interventions can be effective if they include six critical components (i.e., teaching
job search skills, improving self-presentation, boosting self-efficacy, encouraging
proactivity, promoting goal setting, and enlisting social support; Liu, Huang, &
Wang, 2014). Research supports the benefits of youth with visual impairments
learning how to find jobs on their own (McDonnall & O'Mally, 2012), and these
youth may receive some job search instruction through transition programs (Lewis,
Bardin, & Jorgensen-Smith, 2009) and pre-employment programs (e.g., McMahon,
Wolffe, Wolfe, & Brooker, 2013; Royal National Institute of Blind People, 2014).
However, no published studies of job search interventions for youth with visual
impairments were identified, indicating that little to no research has been
conducted to determine effective job search skills programs, methods, or curricula
for this population. Thus, we developed a job search skills training program called
Putting Your Best Foot Forward and examined its effectiveness.
