SOME TIPS FOR A MORE EFFECTIVE JOB SEARCH
So again, I know many of you out there with Moebius Syndrome or a facial/physical difference out there are searching for jobs, looking for a better job, etc.  So how can you make your job search as effective as it can be?  Here's one tip I can give you:  during your interview, as long as you are comfortable with it, don't be afraid to tell your potential employer about Moebius Syndrome.  Let's face, you know your interviewer will notice that you are different.  You know they will wonder.  So be up front.  Take the issue off the table.  That way you can assure him or her:  it's a physical difference, and nothing more.  You can do the job.  They will be impressed, I'm convinced, with your candor, your strength, and your honesty.  Now--here are some more tips:
"Over the years, hiring managers have born witness to every hiring, interviewing, résumé, cover letter and negotiation mistake there is.
You know what these blunders are. Yet you (and hundreds of other job seekers) continue to make common job search mistakes.
From those who see your mistakes over and over, here are 16 common job search mistakes to avoid -- and some of them may surprise you.
1. You don't keep your options open
"Candidates tend to think that if they interview for a job they will get an offer, so they do not apply and interview for multiple positions," says Joanie Spain, director of public relations and career services, School of Advertising Art, a graphic design college. "They wait until one plays out completely, putting their job search on hold until knowing for sure they didn't get the offer."
"By having many more irons in the fire, you diversify the risk and disappointment that is inevitable when any single opportunity disappears," adds Roy Cohen, author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival
"You also present yourself as a more passionate and energetic candidate. You're in the 'zone' -- a point where you're in the flow of information and ideas -- and that makes you more valuable."
2. You turn up your nose at job descriptions
"Entry-level candidates are reluctant to apply for a position unless the job sounds like their 'dream job' or they have all qualifications listed," Spain says.
"Rather than going on an interview to get more information, they base decisions about applying on the job description alone. They fail to see that all interview experience is good experience, or that, until there is an offer on the table, there is no decision to make."
3. You haven't perfected the thank-you note
"Don't be too verbose with a thank-you note after an interview. Sending out a version of "War and Peace" can come across as desperate and needy for a job. However, sending a one or two sentence thank-you note comes across as flippant, not well thought-out and potentially shows indifference regarding the job to the employer," says Mike Barefoot, senior account manager at Red Zone Resources, a recruitment firm.
"We encourage candidates to keep them to four to eight sentences."
4. You don't check your references
"Always give out references that you've pre-screened. We sometimes see candidates give out references that were never checked with and the references feedback isn't always kind," Barefoot says.
"Also, make sure they're predominantly managers. An occasional colleague is okay, but contemporaries and friends really don't carry that much weight in helping you land a position."

Read the whole thing; there are many more tips...

Meanwhile, this past weekend I was in Philadelphia, PA; we had our annual face-to-face meeting for the Moebius Syndrome Foundation Board of Directors, of which I am a member.  We met at the hotel at which the MSF Conference in 2012 will be held.  I can tell you that we all spent a lot of time on conference planning and updates, and things are going well.  Dawn Ang and Emmett Linn, who will be the host family for it, are doing great work.  I think the Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia Hotel, where the conference will be held, will work very nicely for us.  The conference is very much in downtown Philly, not far at all from the airport, and we will be very close to some terrific cultural and historic sites which Philadelphia has to offer.

I can also assure all of you Moebius adults out there that there will be many sessions at the conference this year addressing the needs and concerns that you have, and we're all excited about that.  At the same time, as before, the conference will also continue to address as before all of the other issues out there--medical issues, help and support and information for parents of young Moebius children, and so forth.  There are a lot of people working hard on this to make this a terrific conference, and all that hard work is going to pay off.  Stay tuned!


"The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow
are the buts you use today." -Les Brown